In A Blink

I have been so busy lately and in the rush of getting everything "done", I have realized that so many of us have spent the majority of our lives in *busy work* and maybe not enough in the really important things in life that have an eternal importance. I guess what I'm trying to say is that we often get caught up in "errands" and neglect the things that really have relevance in our lives...at least I do.

I was talking to my BFF yesterday and we were talking about how she had everything she owned in a storage unit while she was in between homes. One day she received a phone call and was told that EVERYTHING SHE OWNED had been stolen...GONE...her storage units were completely emptied out and there was nothing left but dust...Since this happened several months ago, she has had some time to process it all. She has received nothing back and it's gone forever...all of it...but it still stings her.

She asked me if I thought she was a "loser" because she doesn't own a home and has nothing any more. Are you kidding me? I couldn't believe she was thinking this way. She is the most amazing person I know and I strive to be more like her because she posesses pretty much every quality that I desire to posess myself. We talked for awhile and this is what I decided:

1. I just don't think that God is going to ask us how much *stuff* we accumulated while we were sojourning on the earth or how big our house was or what kind of car we drove.
2. And I really don't think He will care if I got my laundry done or my floor mopped.
3. When all is said and done, I don't think I will be lying on my death bed worrying whether or not my house is clean or if my make-up is perfect.
4. What we read, watch on T.V. listen to and surround ourselves with become fibers in the quilt of our lives...am I creating strong fibers or weak ones that will yield unsightly holes?
5. Do I surround myself with meaningful, uplifting, inspiring words, music, images and people?
6. Do my grandkids really care if my house is clean or would they rather have me sit on the floor and read them their favorite story...what are they really going to remember?

Well, you get the point.

So we talked and as we aknowledged that we have both lived more than half our lives, (YIKES) we decided that it's really time to concern ourselves with the things that do matter. This is what I have seen lately in my own life:

• A sweet mother suffer with the heartache of watching her precious little boy fight for his life with not many guarantees.
• A loving wife remaining faithful, loyal, strong and vigilant in the fight to free her husband whom she believes has been wrongly accused of a heinous crime.
• A young mother raising her 5 young children alone and fighting for her marriage while her husband resides in a psyche ward receiving treatment for a mental illness. 
• A loyal wife of 60 years care for a dying husband without any complaining.
• A young mother going through divorce and struggling to raise her 3 young children with very minimal financial help from her husband.
• A young mother striving to understand why her beautiful baby daughter will never crawl, walk, speak or function normally and has an uncertain life span.

"Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." ~John Lennon

Their focus is right where it should be. Their focus is on the things in life that have real meaning and purpose. They are exemplary women of unwavering faith and endurance. I love them and honor them as valiant daughters of God. They are fighting the painful battles of life. They are my heros and I look up to them with respect and reverence.

So in answer to my BFF's question, a resounding "NO...you are not a loser." She is a mother, sister, daughter, grandmother and friend who has had some bad things happen to her and is struggling to get through this life right now. In a blink it will all be over and her legacy of compassion, care, concern, unconditional love, charity, service and more will live on. Her children and grandchildren know who she is and they don't care about her posessions, they care about her.

So the real question is, "Am I placing importance and time on the things that really matter?" In a blink it will be over for all of us. And that's O.K...