Thursday, May 1, 2014

Eulogy

My friend is dead.

People who say you never know how much you like someone until they are gone, aren't always right. Sometimes you know exactly how you feel about someone, but a whole bunch of other things -- most of which are unimportant -- get in the way.

You know you should be sitting somewhere talking to her, but you are Tweeting, and Pinning, and wondering why Instagram won't allow you to upload your picture. You know you should have invited him to your last barbecue, but you weren't sure where you put his number, and you know he doesn't like potato salad. You could have stopped over last week, but you were into much of a hurry to set the DVR.

Well, now my friend is gone. And I didn't stop when I drove past his house. And I haven't seen him at the place we go once a month, because I've been too busy to get there. And all I have left is his stupid voicemail wishing me a "happy birthday" the year before last. And I couldn't even go to his funeral today because I am so mad at myself, and so sad that he's gone, that I made myself sick and spent a good bit of the late morning in the bathroom. And I don't even know what to say to his wife. When everyone was posting things on his Facebook page, I didn't -- I couldn't find the words. I still can't. Not to tell you what he was like, or how much I'll miss him, or how I felt about him.

I can tell you how angry I am that I made things so complicated -- that we all make things so unnecessarily complicated.

"Well, I don't want to bother them if they're busy." "She might not even be there." "I have so much cleaning to do." "I just don't feel so good today."

Bother them! Check to see if she's there! Dust will always wait for you! Take an aspirin!! Why do we do this to ourselves? Why are we so lazy, complacent, wasteful?

 I drove almost an hour on my last day off. I went to see a cousin I am going to see again in a couple of months. At least, I think so. I don't want to take that chance again.

My Point of View

Some folks may think I have "I"-trouble, and to be honest with you, I (there it is again) am not entirely sure that I don't. I do, however, try to stay away from that sort of thing, and do a little ego exam now and again. The truth is, compared to the design God used at the beginning of all of this -- time, breath, life -- we are all egomaniacal fiends. He is worthy of our service, our worship, our dedication, and our devotion. None of us should glory in anything we've done. None of us should be wrapped up in "getting the credit." None of us should ever forget...it's not about us!

That being said, I tend to write from my perspective -- a lot. This is a blog, after all, a log of my choosing to be forever transcribed on the winds of the worldwide web. I have so much to say, mostly about the things that God has done for me. Maybe they are of interest to others, and maybe they are not, but I believe that even the smallest wonders do not exist as some entitlement, and I do not believe we can earn them. I believe they are gifts -- that life is a gift -- and my desire is to shout it from every venue at my disposal. If it seems I fixate on myself and my life, it is because I value all God has given me, and I could never say enough about it. It never ceases to amaze, how much He loves me.

I'd like that sort of amazement to be yours as well.