Life is Short

I had every intention of posting a blog entry on Friday, but in light of the slaughter in Newtown, Connecticut, I didn't have the heart.

Over the weekend I wrote my weekly column about the shootings and I don't want to repeat those thoughts here. You can read them later this week at Religion Today.

While I know it's a cliché, I can't help but be reminded that life is short--often far shorter than we think. It's too short for harboring anger or holding grudges. Too short to withhold help, concern, kindness, and comfort. Too short to let the inertia of day-to-day keep us from reaching out to the people we love and to the people that we really don't love, but should reach out to anyway hoping that love will grow.

It's too short to forget to bring Christmas cookies to your neighbor. Too short to avoid taking your son fishing or your granddaughter hiking. Too short to dislike your in-laws or your child's in-laws. Too short to ignore strangers instead of showing them kindness. Too short not to go to church and give thanks. And it's far too short to be selfish, sullen, stubborn, ungrateful, or bitter.

There's a sticky note posted just above my keyboard reminding me to sent a card to a gentleman I met a few months back who recently had knee replacement surgery. It's about time I sent the card. Life's just too short to do otherwise.