Shower the people. . . "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (NIV) John 13:34
I've lived for 18 years in a small town and I attend a church where everyone pretty much knows each other, at least by sight, if not always by name. At times over the years, someone in the congregation has passed away unexpectedly and the pastor of the church has allowed a time during the church service for members to stand and say a few words about what the person meant to them and how they touched their lives. A few years ago, a man in our community died of a heart attack and as various members of the congregation got up to speak, I thought of how much I liked the man and how much I was going to miss him. Then I thought, "Did you ever tell him how much you liked him?", and the answer was, no. Growing up, like so many in adolescence and young adulthood, my relationship with my parents was difficult and strained. As time went on, I became very worried about my father's health. In my mind, he was a "walking heart attack" and I was convinced he would die at almost any given moment. I thought he would leave and I would feel awful for the rest of my life, so I began to try to tell him each time we spoke that I loved him. Every time we'd meet or speak on the phone, I was sure it might be the last time, so I tried to convey that I truly did care for him and love him. I ended up doing that for eleven more years, so that when he finally did pass away, peacefully, I mourned but felt so blessed that God had given me the time and the grace to re-make our relationship and love with each other. I have since had the overwhelming sense, everyday of my life, that our time on earth is so short. We have one life, a brief moment to show those around us God's love. I tend to look at everyone I meet as though I might never see them again. I try to make sure that the people in my life know how much I care for them. As I see my children grow up literally before my eyes, I am filled with the feeling that this is my only chance, this short time to show them all the love I can before they grow and fly away.
Can you look over the people you know and think, if God took them away today, would you have missed your chance to show them his love? Is there someone you've been meaning to tell how you feel, show appreciation, show a kindness to, but have been putting it off? Is there someone you've been meaning to tell about God's love and salvation but felt you haven't had the chance? Today is all you have. Live and love as though it is your last.
from:www.anchorlife.org