I’m convinced that all of us have this common gene in our DNA that triggers the speed cycle of life. For some unknown reason we go through childhood and the teen years just begging the days to go by so we can get to what’s next. The days, years, and milestones are so freakin’ slow when we’re young that we can’t do anything but wish it were over. Then… POOF! Speed cycle. When does this happen? At what point in our life does this secret little gene switch on? It’s amazing that we muddle through adulthood with all of these plans, dreams, and ideas for tomorrow… then all of a sudden it seems, we look around and tomorrow passed us by about 15 years ago!
Holy smokes where has this year gone? Have you been there? Are you there now? Do you feel where I’m coming from? Why are we so compelled to make these grand plans for life only to realize that we didn’t do a single thing about it… well… we did one thing: we talked about it… for a short bit.
Wherever you are in life, speeding up, zooming by, or slowing down, it’s still but just a vapor. Christ Jesus talked about this vapor trail. His advice is not to worry about so much junk… and make sure you’ve got the important stuff covered (Faith, Hope, Love – Others)… you’ll be done with the ride before you know it.
I don’t think there is a short circuit for the speed cycle gene. If we removed it, we would be useless. There is something about the realization that time is short that moves us to action. Unfortunately for a massive majority of people… that action is to give up and write off the idea that we can actually accomplish our task. For others, its a wake up call. I’m challenging you to recognize that life just blew by you while you were standing still. You’re not the only one. It’s blowing by every single one of us… no matter how prepared we think we may be for it.
There are days where I feel as if I’m in turn 3 at Talledega National Speedway watching life zip by at blurring speeds. On my best day… I can’t keep up. However, there are days when I rev my engine and say… I may not win this race, but I am sure as hell going to put the pedal to the floor and hang on!
Are the days flying by you faster than you can count them? That’s a rhetorical question… the answer is yes. The real question is… are you compelled to start now and do all you can to make the best of where you are? Or are you going to sit there and whine and complain about how fast life is going by?
The God I’ve come to know tells me story after story in His book that life will fly by… you better get busy. If you want to truly live a life that honors Him, you better shut up with the complaints and start strapping in and making the best of the day… we only have a numbered amount.
I’m excited about life and the opportunities that lay ahead. I’m jazzed up about being able to leave a legacy of hope, love, and focus for my daughter. I’m pumped to have the awesome task of being a man after God’s heart… and showing my family and friends what that looks like to me.
I hear the speed cycle switching on again… hang on… this is going to be a cool ride!
About the Author
I am 20,798 days old. If I live to be 80 years old that is approximately 29,200 days so I have less than 10,000 day left on this earth. Actually 8,400 days and that not a lot of days to get it right.
The Mayan Calendar long count date of your birthday is 12.16.17.16.18 which is 12 baktun 16 katun 17 tun 16 uinal 18 kin. Their Calendar ends December 21, 2012. So I have less than 1541 days on this earth left if I believe that stuff.
Greg said, “Are the days flying by you faster than you can count them?” Wow, so fast now that it makes you think what life is about.
“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. So is does not matter, you have to be ready, when He returns.
Matthew 24:35-37
So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
Matthew 24:43-45
Like Greg said, “You must live your life and have some goal to be able to leave a legacy of hope, love, and focus for your family.” Purpose Driven life is living Bold not getting ready for the end of your life, but living each day serving Jesus. When you are lying in that box, people are saying that he kept a nice yard, boy he loved to watch football. He could out drive most people on a golf course. All these things and they are not important, they are just things. What I want them to say is that he was a good man whom loved his family and friends, but he loved Jesus and his love shined everyday. Yes, I have made many mistakes in my life, probably more than most people. Because of a little girl I call Taylor Ann I came back to Jesus. The Shepherd came and found me through her or with her. “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
Luke 15:3-5
Greg says, “The real question is… are you compelled to start now and do all you can to make the best of where you are?” I say yes, Yes because I want to have a personal relationship, I want to grow spiritually by reading the Bible, I want to share my love for Jesus with others, I want to create providential relationships with others, I want to be disciplined enough to do what God wants me to do, even when I don’t want to do it. I want to trust him that much.
What I don’t want is to be standing in Heaven saying, “What was I thinking?” We ask ourselves that question much more frequently than we’d like to admit. We rarely ask ourselves, “What was I doing?” because we know it’s our thoughts – our mental activities – that shapes what we do – our physical activities. Not vice versa. So then it probably makes sense to examine our thought processes. What exactly do we think about that makes us act the way we do? I also want Jesus to say before the Father that he was a good man after Taylor Ann and I found him and brought him back to the flock.