There is a great song by Tim McGraw called "Live like you're dying." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiOcW_YR1G8
I was reminded about it because it was posted last night by a facebook MS friend of mine, Renee McFerrin Brooks. And I thought, do I live like that? I want to.
Then I thought about the fragility of life. These past few weeks, when all the remembrances of 9/11 came up through Bin Laden's death, I started thinking about the almost 3,000 innocent Americans who woke up one morning, not knowing that it was their last day on earth.
We're all just a heartbeat away from eternity, as my dear friend Ron Watts likes to say. None of us knows if our current breath will be our last. So, in the light of that, I began to think about the choices I make each day about how to live my brief time here on planet Earth!
Do I feel cursed because I have to live with MS, or do I feel blessed? Do I wake up each day with a smile or a growl? I had the CCSVI procedure back in August and my MS symptoms were vastly improved by it. But, I still have MS and have to deal with all the ramifications that living with a chronic progressive disease implies. It's not going away. The damage from years of MS flare-ups, full blown attacks and all the numerous drugs have taken their toll. True, I do feel better, but I still have to deal with MS every minute of every day and lately some of the symptoms are coming back, so now, what do I do?What if I go back to the way I was before I had my CCSVI procedure. Can I be happy again having to live life like that again?
I wouldn't be honest if I said there weren't days when I didn't want to get up. Days when I haven't slept well because of pain, or things that were weighing heavily on my mind. But we all have those days, right? We just do it, we open our eyes and go. Some of the things that help me, are to say to God each day, "Thank you for opening my eyes up this morning, Lord. Help me to live this day for you. Help me to help others."
By and large, I've always been a pretty positive girl and I think my friends and family would concur with that.
I always try to look at the good in every situation and in every person, and overlook the bad. We are all on this journey together and we are all in different stages of growth and maturity. Where you are may not be where your husband is, or your parents are, or your kids, or your friends. But isn't that what's great about life? We all are right where God wants us to be and he wants us to help each other along the way.
For me, I think that my Creator wants me to live each day he gives with a thankful heart, so that is what I always strive to do. He wants me to be thankful for the many blessings that he has given me, in spite of my MS. Is it easy to live like that? Heck no it isn't, but it's the choice I make each day to try and encourage and help others along their way. I try to pull myself out of my problems and think of others and their concerns.
It is my contention that God allows situations to happen to us, through us and around us for our spiritual growth. I also believe he wants people to see him, through us, but we have to slow down long enough to listen to him and let him lead us in and through those circumstances.
I've heard this statement at numerous bible studies over the years, "we are the hands and feet of Jesus Christ on this earth and that we may be the only " Jesus" that some people will ever know."
That is really a very powerful statement and quite something to try and live up to, don't you think? Trying to be like Jesus through our actions and words, is not an easy task by any means, especially for me. I'm a sinner and I'm human and I will never be anything like him, but still, that is what I try to do each day. I try to emulate the good in Jesus. I try to live like my next breath may drawn standing in front of God Almighty, because I don't know when that will be-- none of us do.
I want to be helpful, encouraging, appreciative, thankful and hopeful in the worse of conditions. I want to be the calm one in the middle of the storms of life. I want my friends and family to reach out to me in their times of need. I don't ever want to be judgmental of them or the messes they may have gotten themselves into because Jesus never was. Remember a few years ago when those popular bracelets were on a lot of people's wrists - WWJD? (What Would Jesus Do) Well, that how I try to live! I want people I know to look at me and say, "there's something different about her, what is it?" She tries to do what Jesus would have done!
I want to live my life with no regrets, and live each day as it if were my last, because you never know....it may be.
My verse for today is from Ephesians 5:19-20
"Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
My prayer for today:
Dearest Heavenly Father:
Help me to be more like Jesus. Help me to try not be judgmental of others and their circumstances. Help me to reach out in love to others in Jesus name in every situation. Help me to live each day like it was my last, bringing glory to you along the way. Thank you for all my many blessings and please Lord, forgive me for all my sins.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
I was reminded about it because it was posted last night by a facebook MS friend of mine, Renee McFerrin Brooks. And I thought, do I live like that? I want to.
Then I thought about the fragility of life. These past few weeks, when all the remembrances of 9/11 came up through Bin Laden's death, I started thinking about the almost 3,000 innocent Americans who woke up one morning, not knowing that it was their last day on earth.
We're all just a heartbeat away from eternity, as my dear friend Ron Watts likes to say. None of us knows if our current breath will be our last. So, in the light of that, I began to think about the choices I make each day about how to live my brief time here on planet Earth!
Do I feel cursed because I have to live with MS, or do I feel blessed? Do I wake up each day with a smile or a growl? I had the CCSVI procedure back in August and my MS symptoms were vastly improved by it. But, I still have MS and have to deal with all the ramifications that living with a chronic progressive disease implies. It's not going away. The damage from years of MS flare-ups, full blown attacks and all the numerous drugs have taken their toll. True, I do feel better, but I still have to deal with MS every minute of every day and lately some of the symptoms are coming back, so now, what do I do?What if I go back to the way I was before I had my CCSVI procedure. Can I be happy again having to live life like that again?
I wouldn't be honest if I said there weren't days when I didn't want to get up. Days when I haven't slept well because of pain, or things that were weighing heavily on my mind. But we all have those days, right? We just do it, we open our eyes and go. Some of the things that help me, are to say to God each day, "Thank you for opening my eyes up this morning, Lord. Help me to live this day for you. Help me to help others."
By and large, I've always been a pretty positive girl and I think my friends and family would concur with that.
I always try to look at the good in every situation and in every person, and overlook the bad. We are all on this journey together and we are all in different stages of growth and maturity. Where you are may not be where your husband is, or your parents are, or your kids, or your friends. But isn't that what's great about life? We all are right where God wants us to be and he wants us to help each other along the way.
For me, I think that my Creator wants me to live each day he gives with a thankful heart, so that is what I always strive to do. He wants me to be thankful for the many blessings that he has given me, in spite of my MS. Is it easy to live like that? Heck no it isn't, but it's the choice I make each day to try and encourage and help others along their way. I try to pull myself out of my problems and think of others and their concerns.
It is my contention that God allows situations to happen to us, through us and around us for our spiritual growth. I also believe he wants people to see him, through us, but we have to slow down long enough to listen to him and let him lead us in and through those circumstances.
I've heard this statement at numerous bible studies over the years, "we are the hands and feet of Jesus Christ on this earth and that we may be the only " Jesus" that some people will ever know."
That is really a very powerful statement and quite something to try and live up to, don't you think? Trying to be like Jesus through our actions and words, is not an easy task by any means, especially for me. I'm a sinner and I'm human and I will never be anything like him, but still, that is what I try to do each day. I try to emulate the good in Jesus. I try to live like my next breath may drawn standing in front of God Almighty, because I don't know when that will be-- none of us do.
I want to be helpful, encouraging, appreciative, thankful and hopeful in the worse of conditions. I want to be the calm one in the middle of the storms of life. I want my friends and family to reach out to me in their times of need. I don't ever want to be judgmental of them or the messes they may have gotten themselves into because Jesus never was. Remember a few years ago when those popular bracelets were on a lot of people's wrists - WWJD? (What Would Jesus Do) Well, that how I try to live! I want people I know to look at me and say, "there's something different about her, what is it?" She tries to do what Jesus would have done!
I want to live my life with no regrets, and live each day as it if were my last, because you never know....it may be.
My verse for today is from Ephesians 5:19-20
My prayer for today:
Dearest Heavenly Father:
Help me to be more like Jesus. Help me to try not be judgmental of others and their circumstances. Help me to reach out in love to others in Jesus name in every situation. Help me to live each day like it was my last, bringing glory to you along the way. Thank you for all my many blessings and please Lord, forgive me for all my sins.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
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