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Enjoying Life

by Jerry Ousley  
6/20/2009 / Christian Living


Recently a man who was dying spoke some words to me. I had picked up some items at the grocery store and dropped them off for his family at the request of my wife, Debbie. Honestly, I hadn't visited this man like I should have. There are always excuses, things to be done, and reasons to escape what we really should do. I had other things going on that day and was in a hurry but I shouldn't have been.

Faithful to my word, I dropped the items off, involved myself with them in idle chit-chat, and was preparing to walk out the door and return home with my obligation complete, when the man spoke my name and said, "I have something to tell you." Risking respect for the departed I knew this man to be a bit over-dramatic and tried to patiently wait as he slowly chewed the bite of food he had just taken. It seemed like an eternity as he swallowed then took a slow sip from the glass of milk by his plate. He spoke only two words two words that have echoed in my mind ever since. He simply said, "Enjoy life." It took me by surprise. I said something foolish like, "Thank you, I will." At the time I really didn't know what else to say. How do you respond to a man who knows his days are numbered and has shared something like that with you?

As days passed I often thought about those simple two words he had spoken to me. "Enjoy life." What was the message in those words? Had they come from anyone else I, like many, would have dismissed them. But they would not go away and so I knew that God had something hidden in those two words coming from the lips of a dying man. Moments after getting notification that he had passed it occurred to me that he had probably surveyed his own life. More than likely he had thought about things he wished he had done differently. Perhaps he remembered times when he too was in a hurry, thinking that what duties were at hand were more important than anything else and that he had to work hard to get them finished. Like many of us maybe he had lost his temper with others during those times and had spoken harsh words to another that he wished he could take back now.

As I pondered these things I sat down and began to make a list of what really brought enjoyment to me. I won't share that list because those are private things and frankly are different for us all anyway. I remembered the times someone had told me, and the times I had said myself, "Life is too short. The days seem to go faster and faster." I also thought of the verse where Jesus compared our lives to a puff of smoke, drifting for a moment then fading into the air. It made me to know that it was way past time that I really did take a life-inventory, choose those things that really brought happiness and enjoyment and began looking for ways to discard what didn't meet the criteria.

It may take the rest of my life to sort it all out. There are responsibilities that are necessary, but there are other things that we think are necessary that really aren't. For certain we must take into consideration the people involved. We aren't to be selfish in our pursuit of happiness and we aren't to put our happiness above that of others.

But we really should take long careful thought on the words of Jesus when He told us "I am come that they might have life, and that they may have it more abundantly," (John 10:10). Our Lord wants us to enjoy the life that He has given to us. He wants us to be blessed despite the seemingly bad blows that may be dealt to us in the present. We can have abundant life, enjoyable life, in the middle of it all but it takes conscientious effort, determination and some work. Are we willing? Come with me . . . let's learn to enjoy life.

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.? Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.

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