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CHAPTER TWO
I walk down the same street.
There's a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in... again.
I can't believe I'm in the same place,
but it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get
out.
CHAPTER THREE
I walk down the same street.
There's a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in... it's a habit,
but my eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.
CHAPTER FOUR
I walk down the same street.
There's a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.
CHAPTER FIVE
I walk down another street.
What a marvelous progression from... a helpless victim of life
to... a victim of self to... taking
responsibility to...
self-discipline to... making better
choices!
We have all been helpless victims. We've all taken a fall. But
some people have chosen to be victors.
If you were to write your
autobiography, how would it end?
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It happened on the evening of April
14, 1912. The Titanic, the
largest ship afloat, struck an iceberg
in the treacherous waters of
the Atlantic. Four hours later she
sank to the bottom.
A place on one lifeboat was reserved for a certain woman. She
was just stepping into the
boat when she asked if she could run to
the ship's library to get something.
She was allowed three minutes.
The woman ran through the corridors of the reeling vessel.
Crossing the saloon she caught sight
of jewelry strewn around the
floor. Someone had hurriedly cleaned
out their safes and dropped
valuables as they ran. What an opportunity!
Wealth was literally at
her fingertips!
However, she ignored the jewelry, made her way to the library,
snatched a copy of the Bible and
ran back to the waiting lifeboat.
Earlier that day it may have seemed
incredible to the woman to choose
a copy of the Bible over valuable
jewelry. But in the face of death,
prized valuables became relatively
worthless, and what may have seemed
worthless became suddenly valuable.
Unfortunately, it often takes a catastrophe to shuffle our
priorities around into a sensible
order. But what a catastrophe when
we never do discover what is really
important.
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There once was a cautious gal,
who never romped
or played;
She never drank, she never smoked,
from the path
she never strayed.
So when she passed away
the insurance
was denied;
For since she never really lived
they claimed she
never died!
I think people want to experience life as fully as possible.
This has always been the case. Even
two thousand years ago, a
life-affirming rabbi from Galilee
recognized our universal yearning
for LIFE when he said, "I have come
that they might have life and have
it more abundantly." And, of course,
"romping," "playing," and
"straying from the path" have little
to do with how fully one
experiences life. Abundant living
is more about how we love the other
people on this planet, how we care
for ourselves and how well we honor
our God. It has to do with joy and
laughter, kindness and forgiveness
and peace. It means taking time for
what is truly important.
One man was asked if he believed in life after death. His wife
spoke first. "Life after death?"
she said. "He doesn't even believe in
life after dinner!"
I believe in life after death. But I also believe in life
BEFORE death. Abundant and full and
beginning today.
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Mother Teresa once said, "If you
judge people, you have no
time to love them." Nor do you have
time to understand them.
Eugene Brice, in his book *Books that Bring Life* (Lubbock,
Texas: Net Press 1987) tells of a
controversy that consumed the United
States Senate many years ago. It
was around whether or not to seat the
newly elected senator from Utah,
Reed Smoot. Back in those days, the
Mormon church (to which Smoot belonged)
still allowed the practice of
polygamy. And although Smoot had
only one wife, some of the more
sanctimonious members of the Senate
argued that he should not be
seated, given the beliefs of his
church.
But the issue was settled when Senator Boise Penrose of
Pennsylvania strode to the podium
and looked directly at some of his
colleagues who, though married, were
known to "womanize." He stated
emphatically, "As for me, I would
prefer to have seated beside me in
the Senate a polygamist who doesn't
polyg than a monogamist who
doesn't monog." End of matter.
I think Mother Teresa got it right: "If you judge people, you
have no time to love them." And besides,
there may come a time when
we, too, will find ourselves more
in need of acceptance than
judgement.
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