It feels like it was only yesterday when we were anticipating what the year 2017 will bring as we watched the fireworks light up the sky and witness people celebrating as we ushered in a brand-new year. Now, 2018 has settled in and we find ourselves at the tail-end of its quarter. It just shows how fast time seems to slip by. Every tick and every tock of a clock shortens our limited stay here on this earth. And even after we’re gone, this earth remains until the time that Jesus comes back. Regardless of the length of our existence in this world, between our initiation and termination – whatever we have accomplished – in our tombstones, it will just be presented as a ‘dash’. This begs the question, “What was the significance of my brief existence in this world?”. Was it like a wave that traveled for a long distance, influencing the water to create more waves as it traveled? Or was it a drop in the ocean which created small ripples around the surface before disappearing in the ocean of life?
This thought reminded me of a story that I heard in one of my travels. A sculptor left 3 small blocks at the edge of a pond. The first was carved out of wood, the other was sculpted from mud and the last one was made of sugar. In the story, a gust of wind blew, which caused the first figure to drop into pond. The wooden block simply sank down to the bottom never to be seen again. When another gust of wind came, it caused the block made of mud to drop down. When it dropped in the pond, the block dissolved into a cloud of mud and left the water with a dirty brown shade on the surface. Eventually the last block was knocked over and fell to the pond as well. Upon landing the sugar also dissolved and assimilated with the water; soon, the pond drew the attention of a couple of some ants who started feeding on the now sugary water.
Looking at what transpired in the story, we can see that although the 3 blocks were of the same shape and size, there were big differences on its effect to the water. When the first block made out of wood dropped, the water of the pond was momentarily disturbed but soon after, everything reverted to the way once was. Like nothing ever happened. When the block of mud dropped into the pond, this is where things got a little interesting. It was consumed by the water and left it clouded than what it was from before. The block of sugar yet again became part of the water and when it did, it attracted others to the pond and allowed the water to become sustenance to others. Now, allow me to point out the contrast this story has with the temporary lives each and every one of are living; we can choose to live our life like the first block. Merely surviving. A life that just passes through this world and simply ends when our time has run up. There are small ripples at first after the passing but eventually the waters will again remain still. It would be as like nothing ever dropped on its surface. Another avenue in the road of life is that of the muddy block, where at the end of a person’s life, it leaves the waters murkier and muddier than before. The third one is the life of which our Lord would have wanted us to live. A life that even at its end, leaves something behind for others to be blessed.
This was the example that Christ has set and Paul encourages us in Ephesians 2:5 where he says that, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Are we living the way Christ did? Is my life lived according to God’s purpose? What kind of impact am I making to the people around me? These are but a few of the questions that will help us become aligned with our calling as children of Christ. A life that is guided by His hand that we may be His instruments to serve others. In walking the path that the Lord has set for us, we become an Ananias to every blinded Paul. An Aaron and Hur to every weary Moses. An Esther to every Israel. People like you and me, used mightily by the Father. A David to every Saul.
So, let us look back at how we are impacting others. Are we being that Ananaias? That Aaron and Hur? That Esther? That David to the people around us? Or maybe we are choosing to just make small ripples that soon steady down or ever worse, making the waters just a tad bit muddier than it was? This goes for people that generally surrounds us. Family members, work mates, friends and people from your Church as well. I would like to challenge you in trying to see the impact you have on them and on how your life has impacted them if the time comes for you to be with the Lord.
To put everything in perspective allow me to share this quote with you, “God didn’t add another day in your life because you needed it, he added it because someone out there needs you.”, this is the life that the Lord has called for us to live. A live of purpose and a life that speaks blessing, even when our time on this earth ends.
