L'Chaim!

Taken from the Live Like You Are Dying Daily Readings - Week 1; Day 5

Jewish tradition has a phrase for living well:  "L'Chaim -- to life!"  The phrase is not to a good life, to a healthy life, or even to a long life.  It is simply to life, recognizing that life is indeed good and precious and should always be celebrated and savored. L'Chaim!!

All of life is a gift from God.

"Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it.  We may receive it gladly, with thankful hearts." (1 Timothy 4:4 NLT)

"Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven's lights." (James 1:17 NLT)

The love of life is not in conflict with loving God, because God is the giver of all that is good in life.  To enjoy life is to enjoy God as the giver of all good things whether one realizes it or not.  A person who doesn't know God -- even someone who doesn't believe there is a God -- can still love and enjoy life.  they just don't know who to thank.

If you knew you had only a short time to live, you would want to especially enjoy those things in life that you love and value the most.  And depending on how able you were, you might want to try some of those things you never had a chance to do.  (This is where the lyrics from "Live Like You Were Dying" come in ... skydiving, rocky mountain climbing, and trying your luck on "Fumanchu").  I know my wife would be on the next plane to Paris, even if it meant hocking everything we have to get there.  What about you?  What would you do?

Of course, this is what the song, "Live Like You Were Dying," is getting at -- a kind a second chance at life.  Someone with a relatively healthy life might live longer, and yet never get around to doing half the things they might have done had they known earlier that their life was going to be cut short.  This is the advantage to knowing you're terminal -- you get more out of life because you better appreciate what you have while you have it.  Love is more intense; insight is keener; awareness is heightened; hope is more certain; colors are more vibrant; faith is more real.

A friend of mine named John was paralyzed from the waist down due to a bicycle accident while only in high school.  In the first few years he struggled bitterly with why this had happened to him, but then a monumental change took place.  He made peace with God and with his condition, and found that his anger was replaced by a zest for life that far eclipsed those with full capacity of their limbs.  For one thing, John realized a lifelong dream of being a Christian comedian -- he just does it from a wheelchair.  Then I found out that he jumped out a plane with his eighty-three-year-old skydiving grandmother!  "L'Chaim!" must run in this family!

Appreciate what you have while you have it.  Celebrate life!  To the adventure!  To risk! To love!  To life ... L'Chaim!

Thought provoking questions -
1.  Spend the next few moments thanking God for the gift of life.  Think of some of your best "life moments" and express your appreciation to God.
2.  What is it you have always wanted to do but never took the chance?
3.  What risks might you be willing to take in the next thirty days?  Go for it!!