One Year to Live

The minister where I attend church has challenged us to live 2012 as if we only have one year to live, and because no one is promised a tomorrow, much less another year,  I have taken on this challenge.  I will be writing about what God shows me as I go through the year, and I will write about the challenges that the devil puts in my path.  I have thought a lot about this over the month of December.  What would it look like if I were given the diagnosis of one year to live?  I actually have friends who have heard those words.

I am committed to being in God's Word everyday.  I want to be as close to Him as possible, and that has to come through being in His Word.  I also intend to spend a lot of time in prayer.

I want to spend time with my family and friends and make memories.  They are the ones who have carried me through some of the hardest challenges of my life. 

I am committed to speaking the truth in love in all circumstances.  So many times, I don't say what really needs to be said because I am afraid I will hurt someone or make them angry, but not dealing with issues will never make them go away.  As a matter of fact, in most cases it will only make things worse because eventually the truth will have to be spoken.  Truth is the only way to deal with things. I need people in my life who will tell me the truth, even when I don't want to hear it. 

In this "last year to live"  I want to show Jesus to everyone who crosses my path.

I don't know what this challenge is going to look like, and I have no idea what this year holds, but I trust and know who holds it all in the palm of HIS hand.  He will always be faithful even when I am not and when I falter. 

So today on January 1, 2012 God has already shown me something powerful.  I am a huge Dallas Mavericks fan.  I get so caught up in the games.  I lose sleep over a loss, and I worry and fret about whether they are going to play well or not.  Tonight as I was watching the game, I realized that if I only have one year to live that this is really going to be low on my priority list.  Yes, it will be a good diversion to take my mind off my limited number of days, but in the grand scheme, there is nothing eternal about it.  I need to keep it in perspective. 

Peace and blessings