Living an Exclamation Point Life
I apologize for the consistent “going home” blogs for many days now. I guess I can’t help myself. The “going home” part of our lives is a crowning achievement for those of us who believe there is life after death. My dear mother-in-law exited this life on earth, Saturday, October 15th, and her life here-after just began.
I am thankful for the many conversations I had with Mom over the years. In the last year her words were fewer, but they packed a punch which made every conversation end with an exclamation point.
She always had a habit of saying “And that’s the way it goes”. That’s kind of the way she looked at life — when she could have been down because her beloved husband passed away and left her a widow over twenty-five years ago or that she couldn’t get around as good as she once could, she patiently and calmly would say, “And that’s the way it goes!” Exclamation point!
Mom had it right. “That’s the way it goes” — trusting, leaning on, and depending on our KNOW-IT-ALL God, Who is the way to live a calm, peaceful, and assured life.
Last Tuesday, when I arrived back in Tulsa to provide support, Karen and Mom were seated at the little table in her bedroom. Mom’s grandson, Brad, came in shortly thereafter and asked: “How’s it going, Granny?” Suddenly that quick wit came out one more time when she replied: “In between something and nothing!” That would be the last coherent words she spoke. We all laughed as we never heard her say that before! It was a big exclamation point for us!
James 4:14 says: “You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” James gave us a “spoiler alert”! It was like he was saying “here today and gone tomorrow”! That’s a reality check — especially for those of us who, in our 20s — looked at the old folks (in their 50s) and thought, “They are so old!” Now, we are past our 50s and “old folks” don’t seem so old anymore!
The fact is — the length of our lives isn’t based at all on quantity. It is based on quality. This gift of life, however brief, should be spent living in such a way that the very One who created us will always look upon His investment as a “creation….well done”!
Mom made the most of her life. And rather than us looking at how fast time goes by, wouldn’t it be more productive to think…..”How can I make the most of the time that I have left?”
What if we put an exclamation point on every day we have? An exclamation point is reserved for the accomplishments that excite our spirits and set our hearts on fire. Living a humdrum life doesn’t get an exclamation point. Spending precious time complaining, whining, worrying, being cranky and cynical doesn’t get an exclamation point.
Getting an exclamation point has everything to do with how we wake up each day. Getting an exclamation point has something to do with “hitting-the-ground-running”. I love my memories. I love my old photos. But if I want an exclamation point at the end of each day, I need to wake up saying “Lord, what can I do today to serve YOU and others and leave an exclamation point on THIS day?”
On a gravestone, it shows a date born, then a hyphen, then the date of death. The hyphen represents all the in between birth and death and what that person accomplished in their lifetime. Mom’s will read: Lydia Wuerch, October 31, 1922 – October 15, 2022. I’d like for mine to read…..
“DONNA LIVED and STILL LIVES….EXCLAMATION POINT!!”