"Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come."
Matthew 24:42
Advent started yesterday with foreboding thoughts of the end of the end. "Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, the other left." (v.41) Scary stuff, this. I tend to think of the end stuff, not so much as the end of the world, but more the end of me...when Jesus comes to take me Home. We don't know when that will happen either, and that can be even harder to think about. We all know people who have died suddenly and it can really shake us to the core. How can we prepare for THAT kind of end? I have read so much about the "dying before you die" idea, which beckons us to simplicity, mindful living, and having compassion for others. All of the good that Advent beckons us to, as well. Dying before we die means we let go of what can really hold us here; our small, false selves, our possessions, egos, the Three G's (grudges, grievances and guilt). We must let go of all these in order to cross peacefully over to the other side. Why not get a jump on letting go by starting now, this Advent? Along with the letting go, dying before we die also brings to mind creating positive ripples with our lives--ever widening circles of love and good will that we will leave behind, if we're doing this life well. Dying before we die means living every minute to the fullest, letting others know we love them, squeezing every bit of joy out of the fruits of this life and caring for Creation as the sacred, holy home it is. We do not know on which day our Lord will come for us, but let's make sure we are ready. If we have truly lived our lives with fewer "things" and more positive ripples, we may be ready. If our status and stature have not consumed us, but, instead, our hearts have been consumed by love, we may be ready. This Advent, let's try to die a little before dying, if that isn't too morbid a thought, this Advent Monday...Love, heidi
