The Future

Imagine, if you will (no, this isn't the beginning of a Twilight Zone episode, though maybe it'll turn out that way...) that the definition of 'future' was changed. I should explain that Josh & I have been challenged in the last little bit about what our future looks like, and then in church today I was challenged again. So here's what I've been thinking about lately:

What does "your future" mean to you? To me, I never gave it a second thought that I wouldn't live into my 80's at least (and there's nothing to say that I won't!). I figured I'd graduate my kids, do 'the 50's & 60's thing' whatever that looked like, age gracefully in my 70's and then die in my 80's. What if it's not like that? -- and this may turn morbid for some, so if you want to remain cheery, stop now!

What if the 'future' was suddenly your 'present.' That is to say, what if you suddenly realized that you would not live to graduate your kids and then 'do life' as a 50-80 year old? So let's bring it home: if you knew you would not live more than, say, 10 more years - a single decade, what would you do differently that you aren't (or are) doing now? What would you change about your family life or your work load or your spiritual life - or your spiritual journey? Could you say with full conviction and follow it up with your actions that Jesus "is the Christ, the Son of the Living God"? Or that you know Jesus died to be your Savior - to save you...from yourself, really - from your 'sinful' bent, specifically.

OK, move out of that aspect: would you travel more? Talk more... or less? Read more, or be an advocate for someone or something? Work less, take your kids out of school more? Give more away, or take up something? Take things more seriously or maybe less seriously? Would you pursue that which makes you happy or strive to improve someone else's life? What would you want to accomplish in 10 years? Do you need to accomplish anything? Would whatever you accomplish be tangible or intangible? What do you want to pass along in the next 10 years? Does it all match up with what Christ has for you?

How about this: name some thing that you'd like to have identified with your life. A butterfly that only lives a short time but is appreciated by so many for its beauty? A rock that is never changing and is solid to then end. A rubberband that adjust itself for anything. What about a video camera that doesn't miss a thing. A firework. A medication. A lamp. A lotion. If there was something in this world that you would want people to identify with you, what would it be, and why? What would God create you to be or change you to become? Jesus talked about us being salt. Hmmm.

Strange questions, I know, but I'm realizing that we cannot assume that we'll all live to our 80's or longer (duh!) no matter what our current, wonderful status is right at the moment. We cannot assume that the families we are building will remain indefinitely. Given this knowledge, what might change about how we live our lives? What would it look like to completely surrender to God's will? It's exciting to think that if I were to surrender to God's will completely and entirely I may not even recognize myself! That's the beauty and the freaky thing about it...I have ideas about what I want to do and become, but God's got so much more in store for me if I would just get out of the way!

God, move me out that I may become your creation not some lesser thing of my own design.
Hmmm. What exactly does that look like - and how does that work, exactly?