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| What's in your bucket? |
In a churchyard in Wales, there are the words, “Here lieth the body of William Edwards of Cacreg, who departed this life 24th February, Anno Domini 1668, age one hundred and sixty-eight.” This man must surely have had a secret that the rest of us do not know about living and dying.
Many people do, in fact, want to live for a very long time, but maybe not that long! Some of us would simply enjoy having a life where we had enough time to accomplish everything on our “bucket list.”
[Just for fun, CLICK on the following message from September 2016]:
The Next 50
Truly, no one would likely want to spend the rest of their life working at their jobs or professions much past retirement age. Of course, that number varies widely. Some retire early, excited to begin their next great adventure. And some stick with working until someone or something pushes them out the door. There may also be a valid financial need that keeps us there. However we handle our later years, will depend on what we did or did not do with the first 50 years.
One thing to realize right away is that it is never too late for an adjustment, no matter which decade we live in right now. There are numerous books available that explain that very fact. Especially in our single-again lifestyle, we may absolutely need to find a different way to do things. We are not alone. Many, many people have gone through devastations of all kinds and have had to start over.
Losing jobs through layoffs, bankruptcies, house fires, weather catastrophes, and illnesses are just some of the many examples of having to pick ourselves up off the floor and begin again. We are reminded of the story of “getting back on the horse” after falling off. Somewhere down deep inside ourselves there is a reservoir that has been left untapped for this exact season of our life.
When we try, really try, and not give up, we will find new ways to do things, resources we didn’t know we had, friends who will come through for us, help from all directions, and a sense of peace at the bottom of that well. The key to all this is not just sitting back and having a pity party, but standing on our own two feet, dusting off our behinds, and putting that foot right back in the stirrup. When others see this in us, they will want to join our “party.”
No Time to Waste
Nothing is more attractive than succeeding when life wants to knock us down like fence posts. Soon, we will not even remember what “disaster” feels like. We will be too busy organizing and arranging our lives just the way we have dreamed they could and should be. It’s true! This is not a fantasy, it’s our life. We don’t have time to ignore the possibilities waiting for us. One absolute fact: no one else will do it for us, but they will want to jump in and be a part of it.
Once we are on our way and can relax, then we can help others going through exactly what we did. The experience and knowledge we now have is a valuable commodity. We can use our gifts and talents to find a unique way to walk alongside another woman. From just simple ideas of encouragement, we can make someone’s life turn around for good.
Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. Psalm 34:12, 14 (NLT)
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