Why Are We Waiting on Someone to Lead Us Forward?
We really don’t have the luxury of time on our hands. Every day that passes we have one day less to live in this life. Each of you has a destiny that cannot be avoided. For most of us, we do not know when that day will arrive. So my question is, ‘why are we waiting on someone to tell us what we already know we need to be doing?’ Since we are dying a little more each moment shouldn’t something light a spark under us and say, ‘Get with it!’ We tend to take life so casually that before we know it the end is at hand and only then do you wonder, ‘where did all that time go?’ There is no better time than now to put things in motion that you know needs to be done before it is too late. It will be up to your loved ones to say things about the life you lived later.
The average life expectancy for human beings is approximately 79 years. I am 70 years old presently that does not leave me much time to put my affairs in order. It is not that I will die at 79 but knowing this number is an average lifespan should make me more excited about living the rest of my days. My grandkids under twenty years old think they have an eternity ahead of them. Little do they realize there are trees that will outlive them? Turtles might outlive them and several living things on this planet have a longer lifespan than the average human being. No matter what your current age even 100 years is not a long time.
As we look back over the history of the world it appears that life is telling the story of mankind’s time on earth. As we stitch our lives together it reveals our particular story. When I think about the story that I leave behind I wonder, ‘will my story be a favorable one or will it be a great tragedy?’ Since I currently treat life very preciously I have an idea about my story. For years I have been working on the story plot. Where there were bad episodes I started redeveloping the theme where it became more favorable. Because of the work that I put into the story, I will have no regrets when my end comes. I have accepted my life through God so that is the extent of the power that I have. Once joined with your Maker while alive you merely go along for the rest of the ride. That does not mean that things will be perfect but that you surrender to God and trust in His guidance.
At this stage of life, I can say this but there was a time when I had no clue about many things. Like so many of us, I did not see life as precious moments stitched together to tell a story. I was too busy doing things that I thought were important. It was more like life was living me rather than me being in control over my life. I was waiting on someone or something to lead me forward… I was waiting on my big break to fall down from heaven giving me that “ah-ha” moment. Today, now closer to the end, I missed almost seventy years of “ah-ha” moments because I did not see the ones that were right in my face. That big thing I was looking for was happening every single day but I was so blind that I could not see what God was revealing to me all that time. God granted me the breath of life for all these years but it was not until the past few years did I considered all these precious moments as an irreplaceable commodity.
Like my younger offsprings, I did not realize that every day I was approaching death closer and closer. It was like I was running a 100 hard dash one step at a time. You only realize that the end is near… when the end is near. Obviously life is more like a marathon… long, hard, and grueling. The first few miles are okay but from about mile 4 through 26.3 it is hell. You spend so much of your time concentrating on how tough it is that you cannot enjoy the beauty that you run pass during nearly every step of the way. The people you see, the neighborhoods you pass through, the elements of nature, the runners joining you on this venture, and thousand of things that make up the fabric of life are right there in those moments but you hardly recognize any of them because you are too busy worrying about many miles ahead of you (the cares of the world). Life is a lot like a long marathon with many hills and valleys to pass through as you persevere until the end.
Think about life! When you were born someone else had to take care of you. After a few years, you started gaining your independence then your life was in your hands. With it came responsibilities so you started worrying about what you don’t have or the dreams that were not manifesting the way you hoped for. You became so preoccupied with work and paying bills that there was very little time to see what God was showing you through your life. You never really saw it. Had you realized just how spectacular every aspect of life really is you might have taken a moment to thank God for giving you at least one more day to enjoy just how spectacular life is. We take all of this for granted! If you stopped for a moment and really look closely at the works of God’s hand it would blow your mind. God created the world that we live in along with every single thing on it. While living in the middle of life it is hard to see just how spectacular it is. Only when you realize that death is quickly approaching day-by-day does the gravity of the moment hit you. By then you can’t even begin to count all those missing opportunities.
Are you currently still waiting on someone to tell you what you need to do in order to improve upon the story that your life is publishing? Only you have the power to unbind the shackles that are holding you back. Start living this life rather than worrying about it. If you don’t like the story your life is telling now would be a good time to start writing the final chapters. Whether you know this or not God is keeping your book of times recording every single moment, acts, and deeds that you are writing on His pages. Every knee shall bow to Him and confess what you did with the precious moments He granted to you. Will He say, “Great job my fine and fateful friend.”
You don’t need to go back into the past and try to undo what has already been done. Those days are already etched in stone. But what you can do it to replenish bad ones with good ones from this day forth. It is not how you started the race but how it ends. God alone will judge you so don’t wait on anyone in this world or beyond to tell you what you know you need to be doing… the good and noble things of God. When your final day is approaching will you be able to make this statement?
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me but also to all who have longed for His appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7–8
