Death & Dying; The Future & Opportunity;

With some extra time on my hands I began thinking about the future and I began to focus on future opportunities especially. Thinking about the future can give us great hope and future thoughts can provide us with heart and soul encouragement that we can use for personal motivation. Thinking about the future is very exciting because our mind and thought processes can 'go wild'. We can let our mind roam the thought field of what if's, possibilities and dreams. Looking toward the future is a good thing yet I found myself being cautious and this sense of cautiousness I began to explore, not wanting to leave any stone unturned in my search of the future and opportunity. My mind began to focus on what is it about the future that we should be careful in dealing with and approaching. What is the danger in looking to the future? What is the danger about looking for opportunities? Thinking up the questions that I was asking myself I discovered I was almost answering the questions as quickly as I was writing them down, then my mind settled down and I went to the depth of my questions and the area most would like to avoid as a conversation. What is the downfall of looking toward the future and thinking about opportunities? A part of the downfall is that in looking for that moment to seize your opportunity we miss the moment that is standing clearly and directly in front of us. Looking toward the future and planning is smart, but living to make a difference in the future only will allow you to miss making a difference today, now. The area of conversation we all are most likely to enjoy avoiding is the conversation of death, dying, departing this world and entering into eternity. My parents helped me at an early age to address the issue of death. In 1985 I faced a medical condition that without a miracle intervention by the hand of God my organs and internal system appear to be heading toward a shutdown. Not exactly what you are wanting to face when you are still just a teenager and young adult. In January and February of this year I faced that future ending and future opportunity ending hour again. One thought I can pass on is the conversation of death, dying and departing this life for eternal life is no easier when you are middle aged in life than when you are a teenager. I discovered some in my immediate family wanting to avoid the conversation but yet I found the conversation to be releasing and settling that offered a sense of peace and calm in the hour we most want to avoid discussing. What are you thinking about when you think of the future? Personally I am thinking when the opportunity comes to get up and walk again I have several things I want to do immediately. I want to visit with my friends. I want to laugh and smile again. I want to share a story or two and I want to hear from my friends whose lives have been on a continuous go while mine has seems to have been on hold. I want to go out for a great meal but I have no idea what the name of that resturant is or where it is located! I want to go back to church. I want to share with God's people parts of my experience, or all of my experience if that is what God wants? I know the sense of His calling remains in affect on my life and consumes my passions. For those that have heard me share as a motivational speaker at a conference or event you will no doubt remember I am fond of sharing 4 things that will change our lives completely. They are: 1) The PEOPLE we met; 2) The PLACES we go; 3) The BOOKS we read; 4) The EXPERIENCES we have; My recent medical challenges have provided me the opportunity to experience all four of my life changers very close together. The best advice I can share today with anyone would be this thought: "Take full advantage of what you have as it happens. The future future is not an opportunity. This moment is all you have to work with".-THM Until then