Ready to Live?

 Our church hasn’t had Sunday School the last couple of weeks, since we’ve eased into the move back to our regular building, but on the last Sunday that we did have Sunday School, our teacher asked a question that stuck with me.

                Everyone always asks if you’re ready to die, and that’s important to address, but I want to know…are you ready to live?

                It is absolutely important to be ready to die. It’s important to have accepted God’s free gift of salvation – and it’s important to have your earthly affairs in order for those who will tend to them after your passing. Of course those things are important!

                But for this moment, we are living, and that matters too. Are we ready to live? Are we ready to live to the fullest?

                I know I want to be ready for that.

                I want to be ready to live with a smile, because there are a lot of frowns out there in this world. (And my face, unfortunately, tends to relax into a scowl, so living with a smile takes some intentionality on my part!)

                I want to be ready to live with something encouraging to say to the people around me, because there isn’t a ton of encouragement floating around out there.

                I want to be ready to live in a way that leaves a positive (and eternal!) impact on those around me. I want to do and say things that matter – today and forever.

                I want to be ready to live by spending my time wisely and not whittling away each day in endless scrolls and channel surfing.

                I want to be ready to live in a way that leaves an impact for when I’m gone – so those around me are prepared to carry on with meaningful work and words.

                I want to be ready to live in a way that allows me to enjoy the bountiful gifts I have sitting right in front of my face: this home, my blessing of a husband, my sweet baby Lexi girl, the friendships around me.

                I want to be ready to live in a way that frees me to serve in my job to the fullest possible potential.

                I want to be ready to live in a way that makes God smile.

                So yes, I am ready to live! I am ready to live fully, abundantly, and with joy!

                How about you?