365 days from now we will be welcoming 2014. Between now and then only God knows what all will be taking place in our world. In your life. In mine.
Most likely some days will be routine, maybe even dull. Other days will be startling. Unexpected pain and disappointment may come from some of those moments. Great joy and comfort may show up on other days. Life will happen. By design.
The possibility of your life being more inspiring than mine looms large. Be aware of that. There will also be days when my own hours resonate with unexpected, and fully undeserved blessing. That is life.
This year I’ve been more aware than ever of less life to live than all the days I’ve been alive. Should I be granted a deep soulish hope/wish, I want to live, if healthy and all here, to be 95yo, at least.
Why?
One of the creative, genuine, brilliant young men I mentor, grabbed my iPhone months back and, without permission (but knowing we have the deepening friendship we do), put an app on that devise that some see as a bit morbid. I find delight and encouragement in what he did. The app is called Big Day.
As of today, being 70+, I’ve lived 25,778 days. In the vernacular of my youth, that blows my mind. As my Mom would have said about that large number of days, “Who woudda thunk it!” Indeed.
With a flick of my fingers across the screen, this app also tallies how many days to go until 95. 8921. Some of my friends shake their heads, raise their eyebrows, look up and say with their expressions, “He’s already losing it. Who ever would want to know how many days they have left?”
Well. I would. And I’m not totally losing it. Yet. :-)
I do not know if I’ll be breathing a year from now. A month from now. Or even tomorrow.
But...........
What if I am granted 8921 more days before I’m called to slip through the “thin veil” into heaven? What if I have only a decade? Maybe, only this year? Tomorrow? Next month?
How will I choose to live the days, months, hours granted by the One Who had me in mind (you, too, by the way!) since before our universe was created (if one dares to fully believe this collection of God thoughts called The Bible, which I do dare and do believe).
How will you choose?
Thus, I’m undertaking an experiment.
How long will this go on? Of that I am not certain.
This may be only for my own chronicling of my remaining days. Most future posts have the strong potential of boring most readers. However, on occasion there may be some word, observation, thought, invitation that will create a spark of added life and dimension, of further purpose on living by design, in whomever follows along. You?
Because of family and personal needs, with work and some travel, chasing some deadlines, etc., I may not post every day. My hope and intent is to post often, beginning with the numbering of the days of this year.
When you see Life By Design, that will be your signal that the next chapter has been written. Some days you may just see a picture, and a brief explanation (remember the olde saying, that some times a picture really is worth a 1000 words, or more).
Thank you for journeying with me into the tomorrows of our lives, should you choose. If this isn’t your thing, not a problem. My deep hope is that you, too, will pay closer attention to your own days, joys, sorrows, possibilities. I long to see you encouraged to explore and discover in ever deeper, richer, creative ways your own God-given, anointed, appointed design
Be you man or woman, younger, older, really olde, educated or self taught, no matter your circumstances, healthy or struggling, the next breath you take is a gift. Take a deep breath. One more, even deeper. Slowly exhale. Do it again. And again.
Respond as you choose. I sincerely will welcome those gifts of you sharing your life and thoughts. I will do my best, as time allows, to respond back. What I do hope you will do is share your own stories with me. None will ever be shared without your express permission, should they be seen of encouragement to others.
OK. I promised myself this introduction would not run over 800 words. Thus at 797 I close with one of my favorite lines from a poem by Mark Oliver in her tome, New and Selected Poems:
Tell me,
what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
I don't want the app but I love and welcome the question and the challenge to live what's left of this life in a recklessly abandoned passionate way.
Posted by: vince | January 01, 2013 at 08:59 PM
Always profound insights and questions from you... I have been wrestling with some of the same thoughts and will be looking forward to journeying with you.
Posted by: Susie Miller | February 08, 2013 at 09:03 AM