MONDAY, JANUARY 3RD, 2022 LET’S GET GOING

 MONDAY, JANUARY 3RD, 2022 LET’S GET GOING

WOW - 2022 - the slate is clean, the past (and even 2021) is gone; the future is unknown; all we have is the PRESENT.  

Let’s take some time this week to reflect on what you want this new year to be.  Some things are out of our control, but many things are things we can control (or partially control).

I was reflecting on what to say today.  I latched onto the concept “Change is inevitable”.  (Whether we want it or not).  Doing nothing will not stop change.  

Yes - there is always change in the world.  Think of the wind, God - the infinite - created a world that always is in change mode.  Our 23-degree axis tilt means that in a 12 month period of time, we will have four seasons.  If the earth did not rotate, it would be a dead rock in space.  Rotating naturally causes winds.  It naturally causes daylight and night.

I watched a video about the building of the St. Louis arch.  To finish the arch, a crane needed to pop the last piece of the arch into place at the top of the two columns rushing to meet it.  But one side was going to be facing the sun and the other side would be in the shade.  That meant the metal facing the sun would be hotter than the other side. The heated metal expands and would be a fraction - a centimeter - a half-inch - too big to fit.  

So, the designers and engineers had firetrucks pouring water over that side that would face the sun to keep it cool enough to fit into place.  (Aside - think of a kid’s treehouse where we need to put one board to sit on.  It just is a fraction too long.  You’d have some kids tugging the limb on one side and other kids tugging the limb on the other side to gain that slight fraction so the board would fit.  Maybe God could have used his big hands to pull the two sides just enough for the last piece to fit - but that wasn’t going to work here.  

With the cooled (on one side) last piece ready the crane operators placed that last piece in its location.  

*****

Back to change - the earth’s rotation, the axis, the sun (day), and night bring winds, bring seasons, and … cause change.

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“Okay, Karen - what are you trying to say?  That humans are like the earth, rotating, heating, and cooling?”

“Kind of”!!

*****

As you know, I have been working in a senior independent living facility.  The people there KNOW that change is inevitable.  They KNOW they are on their way to - death.  Even if they do nothing to cause death - living eventually ends in death.  

Some embrace that oncoming death.  They have spiritual peace in their lives.  “Live each day as if it is your last!!!”  How can you live each day as if it is your last?  Exercise, good nutrition, sufficient sleep, good habits, good friends, good mental outlook, good health might be things you can do on a daily basis.  

In my last year (especially after my surgery), I have spent WAY-TOO-MANY hours in my favorite recliner chair.  Inertia is setting in.  Change is occurring even if I can’t see it, hear it, touch it, or taste it.  

Change is rushing towards me - and if you will - change is rushing towards you!!!

The old George Gershwin song “Our Love is Here to Stay” has these lines:

“In time the Rockies may crumble

Gibraltar may tumble

They’re only made of clay

But our love is here to stay”

Guess what Karen - long after I’m gone, the Rockies will still be there, Gibraltar will still be there.  My love (or my life) is NOT here to stay!!!  

Change is happening - and you can make it a positive change or a negative change - it is up to you.  “Use it or lose it”.

So, will this be the year you take your last bike ride?  Toss the football to a grandchild for the last time, hug your mother or father for the last time?  Will this be the year, you don’t take that last vacation (too expensive, too much travel, too hard on my body, too much to plan?)?  Will this be the year you will regret NOT doing things like hugging an elderly relative?  Will this be the year you will regret NOT saying “I love you” to people you love?  Will this be the year that you die? (Maybe not physically, but mentally, spiritually, and emotionally?)

So bye, bye, Miss American Pie

Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry

And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey 'n rye

Singin' this'll be the day that I die

This'll be the day that I die

And …. Then what?  (Okay, that is an open opportunity to say “what about death”?  Maybe I’ll have a big altar call, and ask people to give their lives to Christ (and, while that is right for me, you get to choose).  Maybe I’ll scare you into exercise.  You can CHOOSE which way you go - hours in the recliner letting those muscles atrophy? Giving up?  Or are you CHOOSING to love, to live life to the fullest?

More this week, including my New Year’s Resolutions!!!

Karen

January 3, 2021