Life...and Death

So you may be thinking, "Goodness. She's like 18. Why is she thinking about death?" Honestly, I don't think it matters. We don't know how long we will have on this earth. I could die next week, or I could live until I'm 70. But I think that realizing that we have a set amount of time on this earth is a very good thing. It helps us to serve God with our all, live life fully, and treat people with the love and respect that they deserve. Have you ever heard the song "Live Like You Were Dying" by Tim McGraw? Well, if you haven't, maybe you should give it a listen...it's really good. It talks about a guy who got cancer and then realized that he only had a little time left on this earth. He started doing things that he had always wanted to do--but had put off for years. He began to live life to the fullest. I guess that's just how I want to be. It would be amazing to make a mark on the world that was positive, to have people say things about you when you were gone that you would want them to say. Seriously, what a great feeling it would be to get the end of this life and know that if you had to look back on it, you would know that you had done everything you wanted to do. You'd have no regrets and not want to change anything. I know that I personally have so much to do to get to that point. OH GOODNESS. What would I want people to say about me when I die? Well...at this point, I'd almost go with what Sheri Easter said years ago in an interview, "She loved." Yes, she loved. That's keeps it short and sweet (something I highly respect but am not good at personally doing lol). I will elaborate though as to what that means to me. It would mean that I loved with a passion. I adored my Savior and served Him with my life. That I cared deeply about my family and built deep relationships with each of them because they're not only family, but also my friends. And that I loved my friends and constantly showed them that they truly meant a lot to me just because they honestly did. To sum it up, I would want the people in my life to know that I passionately cared about them, was always there to listen to or hug them, and that I prayed for them. I want people to see that I loved life and hopefully was a beacon of sunshine in their world. 

Without a TON of thought going into this yet, this is kind of the idea of what I've decided I want people to remember about me when I'm gone. No, I don't claim to have it all together and am definitely not there yet but that's why I have to start working on it...and I mean right away. I know that in and of myself, this is something that I could never obtain. However, I also realize that with God's help that this is feasible. May He help me as I strive to be a person that loves Him and others with my whole heart because that is all He asked us to do.

Life is serious business. What you do now will affect your eternity. As one of the speakers from Bible camp this summer said, "We have one short life to be a good soldier [for Jesus], and one long eternity to be a fulfilled human being."

Love,

Sydney