“Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men; and the living will take it to heart.”
Ecclesiastes 7:2
If you’re like me, you can recall life-changing moments and events of 9/11 like they were yesterday. I remember the ‘older’ generation talking about how they could remember everything they were doing the day John F. Kennedy was shot, and I couldn’t really understand their experience. Then, I became the generation that remembered exactly where I was and what I was doing when the twin towers went down on September 11, 2001 in New York City.
The feelings of remembrance washed over me last week when I attended a leadership conference banquet to welcome the new members into the next class. While there, I ran into an old friend, Adam, and remembered the day his young wife, Renee, died. She was a stay-at-home mom taking care of their three children, one of which was only a few months old, and died unexpectedly after having a stroke while Adam was at work.
It was a day that changed his life forever and caused me to give careful consideration to the frailty of my own life.
On the day Renee was buried, December 31, 2016, I ran my last 26.2 mile race of the year. I remember the day vividly, even what I was wearing. On the day after the race, on January 1, 2017, I wrote a blog titled “While there is Time,” which I’d like to share with you as we approach the anniversary of 9/11:
“Out of the many marathons that I have been blessed to run in my life, there was perhaps no other race in which I did so much reflecting on the past, enjoying the present and contemplating the future. than on Saturday. You see, not only was it the last day of 2016 and the day most people make resolutions, but it was also the day a dear friend of mine went home to be with the Lord (taken off life support that morning). After suffering a stroke on Christmas, this 34-year-old wife and mother of three slipped into a coma and never recovered… leaving a reminder that none of us can determine when or how we will leave this world.
And when it comes to reminders, the words of Solomon, “it’s better to go into the house of mourning than one of feasting,” reminding us how contemplating death actually helps us live life more fully. He was saying that, although many people avoid thinking about dying or refuse to face the possibility that death is the destiny of everyone, if we take that knowledge to heart and really grasp the brevity of life, we are more apt to live life as we should—serving God to the absolute best of our ability and loving others with abandon.
So today, while there is still time, live with purpose. Live with the intent of doing things that will have an eternal impact on the lives of others. Live to serve Jesus as if this moment is all you have because, as Christine Caine wrote, “Life is too short, the world is too big, and God’s love is too great, to live ordinary.”
Living within our glorious purpose, living with the intent of doing things that will have an eternal impact, and living to serve Jesus as if this moment is all I have, are all things the death of my dear friend, Renee, inspired me to do and to continue doing; showing, once again, that God causes all things (that means the good, the bad, and even the downright ugly) to work together for the good of those who love Him.
While I can’t begin to explain why lives are cut short, I know God’s ways are higher than ours and that He can be trusted to always produce beauty from ashes. So, no matter what you’re going through today, choose to trust Him, my friend. And while there is time, serve Jesus with all you have because you may not have tomorrow. For those who are born again, we will one day—like Renee—go to be with Him. If we live each day with spiritually-focused intention, then there will be a day in eternity when we will meet countless people who are in Heaven because we lived our life full throttle for the glory of God!
Does that make you smile or what?
Melissa Sharp is an ultra runner and running coach who has completed more than 100 marathons and ultra marathons. Melissa has learned how to keep running the race of life for the glory of Christ even though she endured decades of domestic abuse. Melissa is a survivor. Through her daily blog thejoyfilledrunner she inspires others to live in the strength of Christ.
