By Mike Glenn For most of my career, I have taken Sundays for granted. My work has always revolved around Sundays, separated only by the changing of a sermon series. As far as I could see, Sundays stretched into the distant horizon of time. I would always have next Sunday and there was plenty of time to preach through the great Bible themes noted in the Scriptures. As far as I could tell, I would even have time to get in a series on Obadiah.
My wife and I lost our three remaining parents between Christmas 2021 and November 2022.
Out of this loss came this exact awareness, which we now express to each other as “Life is for living.” Recognizing that our time is not guaranteed, we’ve increasingly been making choices to live now, from booking that no-kids trip to Portugal, taking my oldest on a father-son Spring Training weekend, or even upgrading some old furniture, to being intentional about hosting others for dinner, connecting with or visiting old friends, or even investing in new friendships.
Closer to home, we’ve spent more quality time together as a family, whether all together (we have three kids between 11 and 16) or one-on-one. And we’ve encouraged our kids to spend time with friends (often at our home, thankfully!) or to try new experiences. No surprise, really, but the main thing it’s revived in us is the commitment to loving people. Yes, one another, but also emanating out from that, the circle widening.
Lastly, it’s started to serve as a plumb line for what we utilize our time for – from the work we do to the ways we participate in ministry. An urgency to be about what we’re meant to be about.
Thanks for sharing, pastor. And thank you for your faithfulness to the call week in and week out.
.... like a vapor. I'm going to savor time with those I will see today. Thank you. I picture those I love in Heaven nodding.
This was extremely encouraging for me. Thank you!
My wife and I lost our three remaining parents between Christmas 2021 and November 2022.
Out of this loss came this exact awareness, which we now express to each other as “Life is for living.” Recognizing that our time is not guaranteed, we’ve increasingly been making choices to live now, from booking that no-kids trip to Portugal, taking my oldest on a father-son Spring Training weekend, or even upgrading some old furniture, to being intentional about hosting others for dinner, connecting with or visiting old friends, or even investing in new friendships.
Closer to home, we’ve spent more quality time together as a family, whether all together (we have three kids between 11 and 16) or one-on-one. And we’ve encouraged our kids to spend time with friends (often at our home, thankfully!) or to try new experiences. No surprise, really, but the main thing it’s revived in us is the commitment to loving people. Yes, one another, but also emanating out from that, the circle widening.
Lastly, it’s started to serve as a plumb line for what we utilize our time for – from the work we do to the ways we participate in ministry. An urgency to be about what we’re meant to be about.
Thanks for sharing, pastor. And thank you for your faithfulness to the call week in and week out.
Congratulations on sticking with it for so long. No doubt many peoples’ lives have been blessed.
Gut punch.