This morning I saw a Michigan tourism commercial (“Michigan tourism” seems like an oxymoron to me, but whatever…) and in that commercial it said that each person gets 25,000 mornings and we should be sure to spend some of them in Michigan (uhhh…once again, “whatever”).
So I guess we only live a little over 68 years, according to the Michigan Department of Tourism, and I’ve already lived 14,147 of my mornings or 57% of my Michigander life expectancy. Bummer.
Then this afternoon I attended the funeral of one of America’s fallen heroes, Army CPL Michael Anaya (a.k.a. “the Anaya-lator”), who was killed by an IED in Iraq on Easter Sunday morning. Michael was 23 years old. He only got 8,600 mornings…probably none of them in Michigan.
My initial thought was, “He was robbed of 16,400 mornings!” Then I remembered that no one is promised tomorrow, thus, no one dies “before his time.” We all simply live under the delusion that we are entitled a long life (25,000 mornings?) and thus live as if today doesn’t matter so much.
I was reminded today that each morning matters, because each morning could be my last. I’ve been blessed with 14,147 mornings so far, and if I make it to 14,148 then that day, too, is a gift from God.
I wonder what the world would look like if I lived as if each day was important. How would things be different? What would my life look like, if every day mattered?
1. I would glorify Christ with every day of my life.
2. I would out-love and out-serve my wife every day.
3. I would spend quality time with my kids every day.
4. I would try to make every person I meet feel important.
5. I would dream bigger dreams.
6. I would take bigger risks.
7. I would vacation more.
8. I would listen better.
9. I would talk less.
10. I would pray harder.
Today matters. My life’s legacy will be based upon a compilation of thousands of daily decisions; each day, building upon the last. I refuse to live in neutral. With God’s help, I will implement my top ten list every day.
What about you? (1) How many mornings have you had? (2) What would your life look like, if every day mattered?
[...] If I seem a bit abrupt it is simply because I almost died last Saturday trying to save a panicky tourist stuck in a rip current (which would have been a self-fulfilling prophecy considering my recent blog about 25,000 Mornings). [...]