Living

Scientists tell us that space is vastly empty, with great distances between stars. Other than our magnificent and perfect sun, the closest star to Earth, Alpha Centauri, is a little over 4 lightyears from us. That’s an enormous amount of space, to say the least.

On days such as New Year’s Day, 2023, where resolutions and hope abound, it is a good time to recollect what this whole thing we call “living” really is. Is it interactions with others? Is living comprised of your hopes and dreams? Is it God’s plans for you? Is it the inner voice chiding or complimenting you? Yes, and no.

Maybe this thing we call “living” is the part of us, the core, that never ages, and is eternal. Christians call it the “soul“, and it is uniquely crafted by a Supreme Creator…or, God.

Do you realize in the space of a few moments you can scan a room, a highway, a computer screen and take in thousands of data points which are transmitted to the real you (aka soul) and decipher them? The flow of life is like water over a dam, running unhindered to our mind and heart. This is so dramatically different than the emptiness of space that it is stunning. Our lives are full of life unfolding before us. It is a miracle that we can perceive our Creation in such a way. It is a gift each second, and we should rejoice in it.

When you stop and consider the miracle of perception, it puts a new spin on things. Maybe there is a moment that is uncomfortable or sad – there are often many conflicting emotions during the holidays. Sometimes people “brace” or even “dread” them. That is understandable. What may be a helpful exercise is to take inventory of the beauty around you, whether in people, pets, objects, the environment, the fact that breath is flowing into your lungs and allowing your heart to beat…

This thing we call living is something we should stand in awe of having received. It is a gift from a Perfect Creator who laid out plans for you and THEN created you. What is it you want in 2023? I submit to you, that it is right before your eyes.

Inhale. Exhale. Realize this thing called life is extraordinary.

“For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139: 13-16 ESV

– RG