live.

I am glad. Very, very glad.
Glad, not because absolutely everything is alright with the world [which is not the case], but that I have people and friends and tools to remind me of what is lovely and good.
I read about the tragedy at the Indiana State fair and my heart hurts so deeply for the families of the 5 unsuspecting people who were killed there. It made me think about how absolutely fragile our lives are. Things can happen in a split second and change everything. 5 people were about to watch a Sugarland concert, having the times of their lives on a summer night at the FAIR and a gust of wind blew the stage over and crushed them. It was a freak accident, something they would never have seen coming. That really makes me think, we can't just assume that we have forever to go through the motions and hope that life's little quirks will work out in our favor. Time is moving. It doesn't stop for our pity parties or our moments of self-depreciation. Those, in the long run, are like stubbing your toe or pricking your finger. We can't dwell on dumb stuff. I'm not saying that we should live every day being paranoid that "this is the end as we know it." That would be stupid and completely counterproductive. What I am saying though is that we can't waste time hoping that we get dealt a good hand. We have today, right now, to make choices, however big or small, that will dictate how we live. So wake up, know that today, a smile instead of moping can catch someone's eye and remind them that happiness isn't temporary or imagined. Happiness and real LIVING are conscious choices. The nitty gritty, splintery details that bother us as we go through the motions are hardly significant when we look at the big picture. We can spread hope and love and true joy just by deciding to accept that our lives are not our own to tailor and custom-fit to make us comfortable. We are supposed to challenge ourselves with hard decisions and strive to live and love foolishly, without holding back, without stopping to think about how convenient or comfortable something is. Just do what expresses love and joy and true service to this gift of life that we have. No hesitation, time won't wait for you to make up your mind.

I want to appreciate, I want to love without lacking, I want to hold nothing back and live how God truly intended. God bless and comfort those families who lost loved ones this weekend. Help them know that in You lies comfort and hope, and that only through trust in You, they can accept, appreciate and carry on the beautiful, temporary gift of living.