My Last Lecture

A friend of mine recently posed the question, "If you were going to die tomorrow, what life lessons and experiences would you feel compelled to share with others?" Suffice it to say, this friend is a bit dramatic, but the question is valid and insightful.
Honestly, I had not thought about collecting learned lessons to pass onto my friends and family and I definitely had not thought about my immanent death. After thinking about both for several days, here are some key points in my "Last Lecture" so far:

-Suffering is an opportunity to learn vital wisdom. God uses suffering to bring us closer to Him. Based on my experience, those who suffer either by chance or by challenge gain God's insight into the meaning of Love.

-Hope is essential to life. Without hope, we have no motivation or strengthto overcome adversity. We depend upon hope, but it doesn't offer the luxury of security.  

-Generosity. Don't hoard your blessings.  Each one of us has a unique combination of gifts to act as God's hands and feet in this world.  If we don't open ourselves to be God's messengers, then his gifts are wasted.


-Forgiveness.  We are all susceptible to failure and disappointing each other, but our challenge is to forgive.  If we don't forgive, our sorrow and distrust will slowly kill our ability to love even our friends.  Forgiveness is no easy feat, even though we say it with ease in the "Our Father".  Forgiveness requires unconditional Christ-like love to move beyond the pain and rebuild trust.  That's no easy task, but with God anything is possible.  "Nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" ~Romans 8:39 

-Vulnerability. Life is too short not to be yourself. By building a wall or wearing a mask, you only distance yourself from building relationships.

 -The time spent building relationships is more important than time spent worrying about money, material goods, or checking tasks off your "To Do" list.

-Human dignity. Humans are images of God's love and thus are filled with dignity and purpose.  By being human, we are all connected through our God.  We are many parts of one body.  When one part is suffering, the rest of the body suffers too.


-Living a good life begins with today. Our future plans mean nothing if we never take the first step in the present.


-Take responsibility when you make a mistake (paradoxically, the more human you are, the more people will trust you). 


- Show gratitute always.  You never know what God has planned for you.

- If you don't like someone, spend more time with them and your perspective will change.