With
all the talk of 2012 and the Mayan calender, Do I think it is "the
end?"
These are truly exciting and frightening times. We
have numerous sources looking at the end of the year as the end of the world.
We have grown all too accustomed to expressions like “Doomsday Preppers,” and
EOTWAWKI (End of the World as We Know It, WROL “Without Rule of Law,” and of
course SHTF (Stuff Hits The Fan.) As people that prepare for the worst, it is
as though some of us are actually craving the breakdown of our society, and
that in itself is scary to me. When we consider all the bad things happening in
our world today, and we only focus on “Not if, but when” we miss out on our
real life. While being prepared for possible events is important, it is also
important not to allow your life to pass by while trying to prepare to live in
the aftermath of a collapse. There are things that will pass by you quickly if
you don’t take notice. I am not talking first steps of a child here, I am just
talking about how the sky looks when the sun starts to come above the horizon
at sunrise, or drops to the crest of the land at sunset and hits the clouds,
and sends colors throughout our sky.
I am talking about looking at a mountain side, and
seeing how the trees are colored, and it looks as though God has used a
paintbrush stroke to create the view, or a mirror clear lake and not being able
to determine where the lake ends and the sky begins.
It is easy to get so preoccupied in preparing to
live during hard times, that we miss the little daily blessings and refreshment
of our spirit that God sends us. At times, I find myself guilty of this, and
often it takes a sharp word from my wife to bring me back to the here and now.
As for 2012 being “the end,” let me assure everyone
that the end is coming. Could it happen on December 21, 2012? The short answer
is Yes, of course it could happen on that day, just as it could happen today,
tomorrow, or a thousand years from now.
The end will surely happen. There are many events happening in today’s
world that will accelerate the end of society as we know it if not changed.
Some think that nothing can change the course that our world is heading to,
others still think there is time. I think dating the day of the end is more
than a bit bold. I guess it may put an imminent perspective in some people’s
minds that we need to get a hold of the struggles that are present in this
world, and I agree that there needs to be some changes, but I don’t fret about
a specific day on a calendar.
As a paramedic, I see tragedy happen often when at
work. When I worked in the donor service, and did tissue recoveries, I often
found myself wondering if these people that had died within the last 24 hours
told their loved ones how much they cared before they took that fateful last
step out of the door of their house that would lead to the end of their life,
or did they in a huff, just leave without saying a word. Did the husband’s or
wife’s last remaining memory of their loved one be words of kindness or one of
scorn. The child that was put to bed the night before and then scolded because
he couldn’t sleep, or wanted a drink of water, will his last memory of his
parent be that scolding, or will he remember that final embrace before his
parent left the house? Then I would
think if they could have just known that their last day of earth was today,
what would they have done differently? This is what we need to be focused on
each day. Because we have yet to be able to forecast the day of our end, we
need to embrace those things that are important. I often say, ”Prepare for
tomorrow, but please live for today.” Live each day as if it is your last,
because neither you nor I know when our last day will come. When you leave this
earthly world, you don’t want to have regrets for the promises you made that
you didn’t fulfill, nor the forgiveness that you never extended. Say what you
mean and mean what you say, because when the end does come, there won’t be
second chances. Daily, tell those people that are most important in your life
that they are important, and that you love them. Don’t get angry because your
child gets out of bed one more time, because he wants to hug you, and feel the
safety of your embrace. You are so important to the people in your life, make
sure they know how important they are to you.