The Measure of Life

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Matthew 24:36

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Matthew 24:45-50

Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time, and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

I found these passages of Scripture intriguing this week. First, I was struck by the fact that no one knows the hour, not even the Son. Have you ever really thought about this? I've read this before but it didn't effect my perspective of heaven. As I was contrasting this Scripture to what I thought about heaven I realized that I thought heaven had a big clock ticking down: 200 years, 12 hours, 13 minutes and 10 seconds. Everyone in heaven was tapping their toes waiting for the end to come. But they are not. Jesus and the angels are in the same boat as us ~ they know what Revelation says, they see what we are doing here on earth and they are cheering us on and fighting alongside of us as we wait in eager expectation for the fullness of the Father's heart to be revealed.

So what are we supposed to be doing while we wait for Jesus' return? Relationship is one of the key things we should be pursuing. In Jesus' parable He says the wicked servant began beating his fellow servants. This is what grieved His heart. Jesus didn't emphasize that they had let their business slide, or they lost thousands of dollars rather He focused in on the way they were treating one another.

I know you've heard me talk about relationships before, but I really think we need to get this. The Bible commands us to "Love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love one another." This is the point of life and the sooner we "get it" the better!

Nevaeh truly slipped away from us quickly ~ even with her health issues it was on no ones' radar that she was leaving us that soon. Her leaving has truly brought a "gentleness" into our home that has never been here before. It is hard to be be impatient and harsh with someone when you are reminded that it is just a privilege to even have one another. Death gives you an appreciation for life and it makes you realize the value of each breath that you take. It truly is a gift ~ what are you doing with it?

Psalm 90:12 "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

This verse has been a motto for my life since a young age. My biological father died a month before I was even born so I've always grown up with the understanding that life is short and could end at any moment. As a result, I try to live my life from the perspective that my days are numbered and today could potentially be my last. So at the end of most nights I ask myself if I could die tonight without any regrets. If my kids, my husband and my friends woke up in the morning and I was gone what would their last memories of me be? Would it be laughing, loving and enjoying life or would it be crabby, yelling and arguing? I love the days when I can say, this was a "perfect day," I could go today.

I don't know when my last days, hours or minutes will be. I don't know if I will be going home in the rapture or if the Lord will take me a different way. But what I do know is that life is short, but a breath and what the Lord asks of us is that we love Him and love one another. That is what measures life.