Here it is, the eve of the end of the world, December 20, 2012. It’s mysterious to me why I sit, yet again in front of this computer screen, attempting to coalesce a few hundred words together into a coherent essay. Why bother on this night, for surely this will be the post no one will ever read.
But alas, I find myself with nothing else better to do. Sure, the house needs cleaning and the laundry pile is threatening to take over the downstairs. But none of that will matter tomorrow. The fact that six out of twelve of us don’t have clean underwear and only two of us have clean (matching) socks is meaningless trivia on this, the eve of the Great Zombie Mayan Apocalypse.
So as the world wraps up its final hours, I have the rare opportunity to reflect back on forty years of life. What regrets plague my conscience? What decisions would I make again? And, if the world weren’t burning to smithereens tomorrow, what advice might I pass onto the next generation?
I chuckle at the audacity of those questions. As if anyone would care to listen to a homeschooling, adoptive mom from eastern Montana who pastors, writes, and studies theology on the side. But because this is the post no one will ever read, I’ll vainly compose a few thoughts as the final minutes of life on this earth tick down…..
Really, life is all about HOPE. Finding hope. Sustaining hope. Sharing hope. Cultivating hope.
And HOPE hinges on four major principles. When you incorporate these four principles into your life, you’ll discover not only HOPE, but that elusive “meaning of life”. (Well, that is if the world wasn’t ending.)
- H – Humor
Once when I was a small child, my sister and I got into a lot of trouble with my dad. I can still recall standing at the top of the stairs, looking down at him, waiting for the punishment that was sure to come, and certainly well-deserved. The look on my dad’s face, though, amused me, and I began first to smile, then giggle, then laugh uncontrollably. Within minutes the tension of my poor behavior had passed and I even missed out on a punishment.
Humor, along with humor’s cousins of smiles and giggles, are an untapped resource of great hope and healing in our world today. Humor is honestly something that’s hard to couple with grumpiness, despair, fear, and pain. Dr. Patch Adams touchingly demonstrated that truth to us in the beloved movie “Patch.”
Life without humor – true humor, not sarcasm which is biting, hurtful and demeaning – cannot be hopeful. Find an excuse to laugh and truly let yourself go. As comedian Ken Davis famously says, “Lighten up, and live!”
- O – Opportunity
Take advantage of opportunities that come your way. Say yes when adventures are offered. As a junior in high school, I earned a year-long scholarship to be an exchange student in Germany. I didn’t know a single word of German as I’d only studied Spanish and French in high school – German wasn’t even offered at my high school. But I said “Yes!” and that decision has positively impacted who I am and what I do today.
If opportunities do not come your way, seek them out. Live life with intentionality, eager to explore and expand opportunities. And, be a person of opportunity. Share your knowledge, experience and insight with others, and in so doing, you will offer them opportunities. You just never know where that may lead. Ten years ago when living in Idaho, we rented our basement apartment to a Fulbright Scholar and his family from Ukraine. Our friendship eventually resulted in us adopting a sibling group of four from Ukraine.
Opportunities abound. Be a person who notices, responds and shares them!
- P – Passion
A life well-lived is filled with passionate engagement. Discover and embrace your zest for life and live fully alive. Embrace your passions and interests. Know that your unique combination of gifts, talents, skills and abilities have great purpose and potential in this world to affect great change. Be willing to stand apart from the crowd, and speak with your unique voice. Whether it is walruses, water rights, weight-lifting or wrecking balls that motivate and move you, champion your passions.
- E – Each Other
Life really isn’t about us. It’s not. It’s not about accumulating wealth, gaining popularity, earning notoriety, or achieving greatness. It’s ultimately about relationships – relationships with each other, and most importantly, relationships with our Creator.
To live a life filled with hope, you must turn the focus away from yourself. Engage with people. Look them in the eye. Care about their day. Struggle alongside them when challenges mount. Celebrate accomplishments – even little, seemingly insignificant ones.
A life focused on each other will fill the empty voids that no amount of clutter, technology, or money will ever satisfy.
The most critical “each other” is with He who formed and fashioned you. Even God lives a life of “each other” – living in a perfect loving community of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The beautify, grace and hope of that equal, life-giving relationship that God lives in is extended to each of us. God invites us into that community, longing for us to join in the ultimate “each other” relationship. It’s that exact relationship for which we were created and for which we long.
And so, there you have it. The ultimate answer to life – if only life weren’t ending on 12/21/12. My local Dawson County Sheriff just posted on Facebook an “End up the World Update” which said, “2200hrs, No zombies reported….rest easy….I’m on it. -Rich-“.
Perhaps the zombies are running a tad late and one or two of you might have the chance to read this before all is lost. While I’m thrilled Rich is keeping a close tab on the zombie situation, I’ll also hold fast to Zephaniah 3:17: The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
If by chance the Mayans miscalculated, may you find HOPE as you engage life with humor, opportunities, passion and each other!
