O Lord, How Long?

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"O.....Before this time another year, I may be gone, in some lonesome graveyard, O Lord! how long...?"

I recently met one of my fellow church goers at Vivo City. We began chatting about stuff, shared inspiring stories, etc. What I remember most is what I said to this person at the end of our conversation...

"You know, the one thing that has kept me going in the Lord all this time? You know why I have the same testimony as our pastors [of not ever once having the thought of turning back on Jesus, or going to church]? One major reason is because of this..."

(I then looked around Page One...nice bookshop, btw)

"One day, all of this...all these books, all this fashion, food, shopping, people, culture, war, debates, stress, pain, careers, school, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, etc....one day all of this will be gone. What else IN the world is there to turn to?" Then I turned and went to eat some economical bee hoon. So much for dramatic endings...

I find it inspiring to keep the thought in my heart that today may be my last day on this planet...that in one more year I may be in some lonesome graveyard. Yea, I think if everyone thought like this we might not get so angry, we might say, "I love you" a little more, we might smile a little more, we might forgive in an instant instead of having to "pray" about it (as if one needs to pray about whether one should forgive). We might actually start acting like people destined for another world...a city with foundations not built with men's hands.

Alas, I am no where near keeping this thought at the forefront of my mind. Many days I regret the things I've said or done, or haven't said or haven't done. I got too angry, I rolled my eyes at someone, I allowed another person to frustrate me and, as a result, walk around with a clouded face which, in turn, shuns others away, etc, etc. You know, all the petty stuff that makes us humans.

I suppose thats why funerals are so powerful. We start to think of all the things we should have done, should have said, should have tried. Why not do, say, and try them now? I gotta ask myself that question more often...

Those of you with your family by your side, take heed! Treat your family today as if it was the last day you'd ever see them! And...

(I'd better stop now....a little girl once told me the way not to get homesick is not to think of home.)