Friday, April 25, 2008

 

Unconditional Love Series

 

Matthew 25:23 “Well done good and faithful servant!” 

 

To Really Live

 

Often in life we hold back from giving our best.   I think we do that because we are afraid if we give our best and are rejected for it, we will be hurt for who we truly are.   I think a great many people never really let the world see who they are or what they feel because of their fear of being hurt for who they really are.   People put up huge fronts rather than just live the life they always wanted to live.   I learned at an early age to pursue what I felt was God’s path for me rather than hold back. 

 

It had been a hard day on the farm and I was that “good tired” from giving my best.  My granddaddy talked after we swam in the lake and sat under the willow trees.   Sometimes he would just share witticisms or advice.   He called me by my embarrassing nickname and said, “If you give the best you have rather than hold back at the end of your life you can have the satisfaction of knowing that you really lived.”   I remember saying to him, “Granddaddy, I don’t know what you are talking about,” so he paused and said, “Take Mr. Ed at the feed store.  He and I were in grade school together and he always says at least once a week, he should have stayed in Paris after the war (WWI) and paint.  Instead he will tell you he came back to the feed store for his Ma and Pa.”  Granddaddy said, “Mr. Ed never lived because he lived his parent’s life.  He should have lived his life.  Miz’ Mizell always said she could have been a much better piano player than Miss Juanita if she had ever had lessons.   Son, Mr. Ed and Miz’ Mizell should have done what they wanted to do even if they failed.   As it was they only lived in their hearts not in their lives.” 

 

I read this poem and remembered the conversation with my granddaddy.  

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered-Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives-Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies,-Succeed anyway.

The good you do will be forgotten tomorrow  -Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable- Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spent years building might be destroyed overnight -Build anyway.

People really need help but attack you if you help them-Help them anyway.  

Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth,

Give the world your best you’ve got anyway.

 

I learned as a young boy that you don’t hold back from living.  Even if you get hurt, you’ve really lived.  At the end of our lives we can say, “God, this was my life.  I tried to do what I thought was right – sometimes I failed.”  But I can say I really lived.   I believe that’s what Jesus did.   He lived the life God called him to live and even though the day he was crucified people would say he was a failure – the truth is he was the greatest success ever known because he lived his destiny.  

 

Prayer:

Dear God, help me to not be too afraid to follow my heart. Amen.