This was a message I heard shared about 3 or 4 years ago at a chapel service at work. Some of you may remember it. One of the Vice Presidents shared it with great passion. He wasn't the greatest of speakers and quite frankly lacked a little bit of excitement at times, but this message was incredible perhaps because it was spoken from his heart.
Basically, he used the line as a metaphor for living for eternity. He shared that if we do live for this line, strangely enough some things that seem unimportant become super important and some other things that consume our time and energy become inconsequential in the whole scheme of things. At the time, I found what he shared to be quite enlightening and inspiring. I hung the above diagram on my desk for a few weeks and tried to think through each decision by this line.
When I did that, things seemed to work out well although I can't say I always felt excited about the choices. There were many times that what I wanted to do and what I needed to do did not match up at all!
Sadly, enough, eventually the diagram came down, and life went on as "usual". However, about 2 years ago, this same Vice President was riding his bike home from work (about 6 or 7 miles) and somehow took a flying leap across his handle bars into a light pole. His back hit the light pole and his body wrapped around it causing extensive damage. He is now paralyzed from the waist down.
To make this brief, he has prevailed over this incident, still works part time in a similar capacity as before, smiles, and even takes time to chat with people as he wheels himself through the halls. He continues to live for the line.
Yesterday, I saw The Diving Bell and the Butterfly which is about a man who has a massive stroke and ends up with locked-in syndrome which leaves him only able to blink one eye. Amazingly through that blinking of one eye, he writes a book about his experience. For him, it was only in the time after his unfortunate event that he actually tuned in to what mattered in life - his kids, his relationships, his memories... It is a sad but triumphant story.
So hear I sit this morning thinking once again about that line - the one with no beginning and no end (eternity), and I think what difference am I making? What am I doing with my life that will stand the test of time? What can I do today that will matter? What can I instill into my kids that will help them to be healthily others focused?
First off, I'll choose joy. I'm not really feeling it, but I'll choose it. Second off, I'll enjoy every moment I can with Sophia as 4 is passing entirely too quickly. Third, I'll seek to bring a smile to any face I come across along the way imagining my humanity will get in the way here and there!
Do any of you resonate with this?
Editors Note: I have tried everything to get the spaces between paragraphs for this post to no avail! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!
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