Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

Death is really valuable.  The fact that our lives are finite makes our lives that much sweeter.  What if you knew you were going to live forever; would there be any urgency to your life?  Doesn’t it make a difference knowing some day we are going to die?  And not only that.  We have no idea when.

Life becomes that much more valuable knowing it is finite.  When we are young there is the illusion we are going to live forever.  It is only an illusion, sometimes shattered when a friend close to us meets an untimely death.

I never forgot Anna Quinlan’s (the well known writer) comments.  She was in college and temporarily left to take care of her mother who was dying.  Then she returned to college with a different perspective, a keener appreciation of life.  She looked at her fellow students and considered their concerns now trivial.  Life had become very precious to her.  Her Mom died.  And the last few months she spent taking care of her illustrated to her how fragile and tenuous life really was.  She had a new found appreciation of how precious life really was.

One can not live with the notion he or she may go at any moment.  Everything is by grace.  And the awareness of the specter of death that awaits every one makes life that much sweeter and always gives you a greater appreciation of the simple things every one takes for granted.  From dust you come and from dust you shall return.  Those words in the Bible are so true.  Our society today views death as a curse.  It is really a gift so appreciate the time the Lord has given to you.  You only have one life so enjoy it and make the best of it.

Tags: Anna Quinlan, appreciation of life, Bible, death, dust-to-dust, dying, everything-is-by-grace, God, life, life is a gift, life is precious, life is sweet, live forever, living, Lord, make the best of life, one life, our lives are finite, wisdom
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Life is simply unfair.  Someone thinking it should be is not thinking clearly.  Life can’t possibly be fair.  Some people have more and conversely some people have less.  That is a fact of life.

Some people are incredibly talented and can almost do anything.  While others are only talented in one area of their life.  Talent is not everything either.  Some parents pushed their kid into being a doctor.  And they became a competent one but it was not where the person’s heart lay.  Maybe, the person would have become an outstanding mechanic (or artist for that matter).

Every person is dealt a specific hand.  You either like it or not.  One thing you can do is accept it and do your best with your specific situation.  Yes, life is not fair but if you rant and rail you make those around miserable not to say yourself also.

Everything is by grace.  I have no doubt about that.  So accept your station in your life and do the best you can with what you got.  You may be surprised at the results.  And I firmly believe what the Bible says:  excellence is always recognized in whatever pursuit you follow with all your heart.

And maybe, you are just good.  There is nothing wrong with good.  Good is better than half.  No matter what you do, do it honestly and do it with all the skill and energy you can muster.  Yes, life is unfair.  Play your cards you are dealt.  You will be far happier.  And in the process so will the people your life is intertwined with.  Happiness spreads and is contagious.

Tags: accept yourself, Bible, do things honestly, do your best, everything-is-by-grace, God, grace, happiness, life-is-unfair, play-cards-you-are-dealt, skill, skill and energy, talent, with all your heart
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Everything is by grace.  Your new day, the next dawn, is only by grace.  I am so aware of that.  I have gotten a solid night sleep, drunk my morning coffee and now await the dawn.

I know that is a privilege.  It is so easy to take the next day for granted.  And sometimes I do.  But not today.

I am waiting for the darkness to lift and then see the steady stream of the birds come to my feeders.

Today I see my optometrist.  I am glad I can.  I have never seen one who has such a gentle touch.  I think of the many people who service my wife and me, the shop we bring our cars which we depend on.  Bob’s customer service is so good.  I do not take it for granted.

There is my family doctor who I go to for checkups (and their support team).  There are so many people whose services I use who I try not to take for granted.  I am well aware everything is by grace.  And I appreciate everything given to me.  They are all gifts.  I did nothing to deserve them.  And that is such an incomplete list.

Tags: bird-feeders, bird-watching, birds, customer service, dawn, do not take for granted, doctor, everything-is-by-grace, gifts, God, grace, morning, morning coffee, my wife, new day, optometrist, service, they are all gifts
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Sometimes life is fair.  Sometimes it isn’t.  And sometimes it never is.  I am reminded of the famous anecdote of Eisenhower whose mother told him what you have to do is deal with the hand you are dealt with.  The fact life is not fair.  Some people appear to have it very easy.  They have no money worries.  Their life seems to flow.  And there is no doubt money (the lack of) can cause quite a bit of worry.

The fact is we are all unequally gifted.  Some people are very talented:  can do almost anything and be successful.  Some people have more.  Some people have less.  Envy can eat at you.  There is a good reason “Thou shall not covet” is one of the ten commandments.

But when you rail at the higher powers for being so unfair with your worldly station, it only leads to problems and dissatisfaction.  Pray to God with thanksgiving.  There is a reason for that advice in the Bible.

Otherwise we are this whining entity wanting this and that from above.  I think of God being above and millions maybe billions of strings are pulling at him all wanting it a different way.  Realizing everything is by grace and thanking God for all your blessings corrects your dissatisfaction with your life.

Insisting on God (or a higher power) being fair only can frustrate you.  Because life is NOT FAIR.  The serenity prayer is worth repeating and these are not the exact words:  what is in your control change, accept what isn’t and have the wisdom to know the difference.  These are not the exact words but it gets the point across.  Grab the control in your life you can, realize what you have no control of.  And accept the results.  That is the beginning of wisdom.

Tags: accept the results, balance, Bible, blessings, deal the hand you are dealt, Eisenhower, envy, everything-is-by-grace, fairness, gifts, God, knowledge, learning, life is not fair, money, pray to God, relationships, serenity prayer, take control in your life of what you can, talent, ten commandments, thanking God, thanksgiving, thou shall not covet, wisdom
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It is so hard to ignore the expectations we have of our friends.  We expect sometimes too much and are disappointed when they don’t meet our expectations.  It is far more easier not to have any expectations of others and rejoice when they exceed them and also feel grateful because if the truth be known each person does what he/she can, when the person can, in their own timing.  If you were to look at your own life, you would see this happening, too.  You have your own timing and give the way you can and give what you can.  You need to give the same right to others.  If you have no expectations, everything someone does for you is totally by grace.  All you really can do is tell another of your needs, desires.  It is up to them how, if and when he/she responds.  Everything is by grace.  And the sooner you understand all that, the easier it is to accept others.  Each person gives what he/she can.

Tags: balance, everything-is-by-grace, expect sometimes too much, expectations, friends, give what we can, giving, God, relationships, time
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