A friend of ours passed yesterday, far sooner than we all expected I’m sure. He went quickly in the end, spared from weeks of suffering. Though we’re happy for him as he’s now with Jesus and no longer suffering, we mourn here on earth with his beloved family and friends.
It had me reflecting today as we often do when we lose someone, thinking about what we wish we could have done differently, or what we forget to say. I wondered if he felt the same, that he wished things were different or that he’d said or done more. Or was he okay with where his life had reached?
I lost another friend a couple of years ago, and her outlook will remain with me forever. She said she didn’t want to go yet, that she wanted to see her children grow up, to grow old with her husband. However, if her time was sooner (as it ended up being), then she was okay, she was ready.
What about me? If my time came soon would I be ready? Would I die happy, or would I be longing for something different? Would I be content with where my life had led?
Obviously we won’t all get to accomplish everything we want to, we don’t all get to watch our children or grandchildren grow old. We won’t all become successful in the world’s eyes, won’t all get to travel, own a house, fulfill our dreams; our circumstances or finances may not allow for it.
But that does not mean that we can’t be content or happy with the life we’ve lived. This comes much more from attitude than anything external, being thankful for what we have. Our attitude and what we leave behind – how we affect people – has much more baring on it than what we feel we’ve accomplished.
If your time came up tomorrow, would you go happy, content with your life? If not, why not? What’s stopping you from being in that place? What do you need to do to get there, for as we know, tomorrow is never promised.