Memory is a wonderful gift. At times I wish mine was better. I think it was Craig's senior year in high school when the television series Lonesome Dove captivated many who viewed the mini-series.
Craig seemingly couldn't get enough. He watched the series over and over until he put most of the words to memory. To this day, he still relies on the wisdom of Augustus McCrae to provide the answer to many human dilemmas. No wonder people think he's country. At the same time, some would say he is smart. Of course, I may have overheard Craig talking about himself.
I'm not talking about rocket science kinds of stuff. Craig doesn't do rocket science. He and I are pretty much alike in that respect. I'm also not suggesting that we are dumber than dirt because we both married wives who are smarter than we are. They also fill our lives with a lot of structure.
I'm talking about simple life lessons that emerge out of common sense. For example:
"It ain't dying I'm talking about, it's living. I doubt it matters where you die, but it matters where you live". – Augustus McCrae
"I'm glad I've been wrong enough to keep in practice. You can't avoid it, you've got to learn to handle it. If you only come face-to-face with your own mistakes once or twice in your life, it's bound to be extra painful. I face mine every day – that way they ain't usually much worse than a dry shave."
And of course, how or why would I argue with the concept of: "The older the violin, the sweeter the music".
For more than a decade, I've been writing a daily blog entitled Carpe Diem. Carpe Diem is a Latin phrase that means seize the day. In the process of writing, I've attempted to capture a story, reflect on a memory, or attempt to process a life-lesson I've learned along the way.
One of the advantages of chronicling my journey is the likelihood that I won't forget it if I write it down. I don't want to succumb to the notion that life is lost in living.
I currently am startled how quickly time seems to be flying by. Is it just me, or does everyone have that same perception?
Speaking of smart, it has been said that Solomon was he wisest man who ever lived. In I Kings 4:40, we are told: "Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt".
David Jeremiah says of Solomon: "No one was as rich, wise, and powerful as Solomon". He then asks the rhetorical question: "But did his accomplishments and wealth satisfy him?"
Listen to how Solomon answers that question, "I hated life…. [it] was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind" (Ecclesiastes 2:17, NIV). The resounding message throughout the book of Ecclesiastes is the despair one feels when accumulating temporal success without finding eternal security. That should serve as a warning for us all.
To help you process where you fall in giving thought to matters of eternal significance, David Jeremiah offers these questions:
- Do I have the same excitement about my mansion in heaven as I have for fixing up my house on earth?
- What proportion of my time is spent keeping up with friends via social media compared to the time I hold them up in prayer?
- Am I more excited about spending ninety percent of my income on my own purposes or about the ten percent I'm able to give to the Lord?
- Am I as diligent in studying God's Word as I am in reading the latest gossip through social media sites on the Internet?
- Do I fall asleep thinking about the problems of earth or the promises of heaven?
Perhaps we need to make some adjustments on our priorities. Give it some thought.
All My Best!
Don
