| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Christian community” Our Bible verse for today: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7 Our thought for today: “Live life large” Late this past Sunday evening my friend Jim died. He had a form of cancer that was discovered late, was very aggressive, and it spread fast – and there wasn’t much medical science was able to do for him. One day, just a couple of weeks ago, Jim and I sat and talked for a long time. We talked about faith issues (his was very strong), but he also reminisced about his life. Jim was a man who lived life large. He was very smart and highly educated, a scientist with a degree in geology. He worked for a time in the oil industry, then shifted his attention to water projects, and he even served as a city manager. His interests in life were wide and varied and his accomplishments many. He was a private pilot, a skilled woodworker, and an avid golfer. He and his brother John built and drove racecars (I’ve seen the pictures. Very cool.) Jim was also an accomplished sailor from childhood. He and Cindi even spent two years living on a sailboat and sailing around the Pacific Ocean. There was more, much more. I haven’t mentioned all the volunteer work Jim did developing and supervising water projects in remote places around the world for Rotary International, or his service in the churches he was a member of (especially as the leader of mission committees and mission projects.) As I listened to Jim’s stories and looked at the pictures, it occurred to me that here was a man who embraced life with gusto and who lived it fully. As we talked that day, knowing he was dying, and as he reflected back on his life, he was sad that he wasn’t getting more years (he was 71), but he was also grateful for the life he had and for the eternity that was waiting for him. Jim was especially grateful for the people the Lord had filled his life with. His wife, his daughters and grandchildren, his siblings, and his church family, all helped to make his life the amazing and enjoyable journey it had been. Like Paul, Jim was able to look back on it all and say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” I’m glad I knew Jim. He was a good church member, a great encourager of his pastor, and a friend. I want to encourage you this morning to resolve to live life large. Embrace every day with eagerness and enthusiasm. Life is fragile and there’s a thin line between life and death. The end can come quickly for any of us. Live while you can; don’t waste any of it. That’s the way my friend Jim approached life, and in the end, he was glad that he had. God bless, Pastor Jim (Join us at Oak Hill Baptist Church every Sunday at 10:00. Join us in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or a shut-in, join us online at http://www.YouTube.com/oakhillbaptistcrossville) |
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