LIVING AND DYING

I had a good friend pass away recently, it was very unexpected and really hit me.  A mutual friend texted me when he learned of Bob’s passing and said ‘I don’t understand how this all works!’

Do any of us really understand how life works?

There was a time in my life that I really didn’t want to live anymore but I was afraid of dying.  Today, I’m not afraid of dying but I want to live!  And that’s what I am doing.  

I remember a reporter asking Billy Graham if he was afraid of dying and his response was ‘I don’t fear death. In fact I look forward to it - and the reason is because I know that when I die I will go into God’s presence forever. This world is temporary; heaven is forever.

One of my favorite songs is THRIVE by Casting Crowns…the course goes like this…

Just to know You and to make You known

We lift Your name on high

Shine like the sun, make darkness run and hide

We know we were made

For so much more than ordinary lives

It's time for us to more than just survive

We were made to thrive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ71RWJhS_M

Today I am THRIVING!

I lived outside of Washington DC for around 30 years and loved it, mostly. But life can become a grind. Work, home, pay the bills, work, home, pay the bills. We can get stuck on the hamster wheel of life and things zoom on by! Many of us are just surviving,

Three years ago I made the decision to jump off the hamster wheel and begin to THRIVE.

Earlier this week I was hiking in Valley of Fire State Park and thinking about my friend Bob. I thought what if I die out on this remote trail…I finally came to the conclusion that I would die happy.  Doing what I love, not doing the grind!

I’ve met so many awesome people on my travels, life changing new friends, shared joy and sorrow but I’m living!

I’ve seen some amazing places across North America, done some amazing things and I appreciate every one of them. 

There is that saying ‘living life on life’s terms. I’m not sure I fully understand that saying. Yes, I have to accept things that are tossed in my path. But the main thing for me is how I act or react to things that ‘get in my way of living life to its fullest’.

I definitely used to react much differently than I do today. I would get upset or angry at some of the smallest things. Always hitting a red-light, getting behind the slowest person in the checkout line, a customer saying no to my perfect solution, etc.

Today I roll with the punches, not much can get me down. If I do start feeling down the first thing I do is pray!  That always helps. The next thing I do is talk to friends about what’s going on and talk to them about how I am feeling. I have a couple of go to friends that I trust with everything. By talking to God and my friends I get over it quickly.

A little over 9 years ago I hit rock bottom, didn’t want to live, everything in my life was going sideways, I felt broken and defeated. I made a decision to change my outlook on life and living and I accepted God into my life and learned to open up to friends and family. 

This life is really worth living today. It could all end tomorrow and that would be ok because I am happy today and doing what I want, THRIVING!

I miss my friend Bob but I know he’s with God today and watching over me like my buddy Bill watches over me. 

I still don’t understand how this all works, but I’m doing the best I can to live one day at a time with joy and happiness.

~ Chuck's Ramblings from the Road