“Myron, I went to bed a young man and woke up an old man.”

“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.”  James 4:14 NLT

I have written these profoundly telling words that my dad said to me before because there is so much truth in their simple message.  Our days and minutes are numbered and known only by the One who created us.

As Lindsey Graham was traveling back from yet another foreign relations trip serving his Country, I wonder if he reviewed his calendar for the upcoming week or pondered his life’s impact?  Did he know that less than 24 hours later he would be remembered and his life’s impact measured as he was memorialized?  I can assure you this, he would not have been surprised or angered by the shameful celebrations of his death being spewed by numerous media outlets and social media threads.  I believe he would simply say, “this is the reward for living a life of committed beliefs and passionate pursuit of protecting those beliefs.”  

I recently shared with someone that I was on a Zoom call with that I struggle with mediocrity and a ‘dip your toe in the water’ life approach.  I love passion and appreciate misguided energy more than measured, half-hearted effort.  Why?  Because our days are numbered and our opportunity to influence can only be assumed to be this day, this hour, this minute.

My wife’s father suddenly passed away while he spoke to her as a 13 year old little girl, the day before she was to start high school.  He was gone in a second.  The remarkable thing about Ed West’s life was the influence, the passion, the legacy that continues to live within his daughter and son and his seven grandchildren who feel they know him 30 years later.  He sewed seeds in his short life that continue to yield fruit today.  

Please know without a doubt that your days are numbered.  As are mine.  Joy and hope are so needed and free to be shown and given.  Passion of purpose is irrepressible.  Influence requires no wealth or thousands of social media followers.  Impact simply requires a willingness to reach out and say, ‘you matter.’  A life well lived is measured by its passionate approach, limitless love, joy emitted, precious time given and most of all, faith that leads to eternal life offered.  All free.  All priceless.

What if you considered taking the reins of your life today and simply say, “everything that I have allowed to limit me, I now choose to use as the fuel that drives my life?”  Life’s experiences will lead us one of two ways; lessons that cause us to overcome or trauma that limits our life’s potential.  You have within you the power to change a life.  

Let’s go.