The accident in the skies over Washington, D.C. which took the lives of so many hopeful people, can cause a person to take stock of one's own. Tomorrow isn't guaranteed to any of us, no not one. We're all just one unlucky slip of the banana peel away from shuffling off this mortal coil, which save for the miracle of The Rapture, is the destination that awaits us all.
Since that news story broke, I wondered about the people on those aircraft, particularly the plane which was so close to landing and sending them on their way. Nestled into their seats, none of them could have known what was about to happen, and I hope the transition of their walk on Earth was mercifully quick.
I think we all need to take stock from time to time about how we touch others on a daily basis. I see so many people blissfully going about their days mistreating their fellow human beings as they live a life of no consequences at all.
As if there is no God above...
Some truly evil, inhuman individuals allotted a space here that could be better used by someone with an actual beating heart in their chest and a soul filled with kindness and compassion for others.
Years ago, I read the account of a local man only 22, who lay dying in a dark alley the victim of a gunshot wound. It turns out he was a gang member involved in a shootout with a member of a rival gang.
Nearby, a woman overheard his cries of "I'm dying, I'm dying, I don't wanna die" through the screen of her partially open window. She tried to offer words of encouragement, telling him to hang on, as the sands of his life trickled away. Help did indeed arrive, but it was much too late. I truly hope her words were a comfort to him hearing a voice of kindness as he crossed over.
The way I try to live my life is as if there might not be a tomorrow. What good have I done for others today? And if the answer isn't suitable enough, I know it's time to put my phone down and see where I can make an impact.
I think it was one of the "good" Roman Emperors who said something along the lines of "A day without a good deed is a lost day" and if he had too many of them strung together, he knew he had to take corrective action.
What I'd like each of us to do is to consider living by his example. I don't think for a moment that we live, we die, and that's that. It doesn't make any sense and seems like a complete waste of an existence.
I look at our limited time in these very human bodies as a proving grounds of sorts, as if God is saying "I'm going to give you enough space and time for you to show me what you're all about. Some don't get enough of that precious time and we lose them all too soon.
But most of us exist for long enough to make mistakes and hopefully learn from them, so that we can positively affect the lives of others. So, you know what? As you read this, take a look at your day so far, and if you haven't done so, generate that random act of kindness, and be the light in a darkened world. Because we could all use a little more light in our lives.
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