What About Your Life? (wherein Kara talks a lot)

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[If you're actually interested in reading this, then hallelujah!!! But be warned that it's rather lengthy.  Word vomit kind of happens sometimes with this gal. But go forth anyway! I hope you enjoy it!]


So I read this article today. It was written in my hometown newspaper about one of my high school classmates.  If you've no interest in clicking over to check the article out, I'll summarize for you. Jared Kubasak was killed in action in Iraq in December 2005. Evidently, sometime in the Fall right before that, he made the acquaintance of a Swedish author, Peter Englund.  Somehow, he made enough of an impact in that man's life, that Englund proceeded to write his next book and dedicate it to Jared's memory.  The book was published in Sweden in 2008, and Jared's parents had no idea. At least not until last month, when Englund sent them an English copy of the book.  Englund wanted to "make it a little bit harder for other people to forget him (Jared)."

My first thought after I read the article, was "wow!". How amazing is that? These two men met, and obviously spent some time together, got to know one another enough, that the living one doesn't want people to forget about the one who died. If they met in the Fall, and Jared died the beginning of December, they only spent a few days to a few weeks around one another.  Yet something about Jared impressed this man. 

But isn't that the kind of story we all wish could be written of us?  That we matter; that other people feel that we matter? That in just a short period of time, we could make such an impact on someone else? I know I think that way a lot sometimes. Be honest. This precious life that we are given; we all hope and dream that we could make a difference, don't we? We all aspire to that ideal. 'After I'm gone, what will people say about me,' we wonder?

This life is so very fleeting. Am I living each day like it counts?  Am I telling others about Jesus?  Do I get up each morning, and live out each moment? As if this one, right now, could be my last?

Monday, September 10th, was the one year anniversary of my car accident. It was nothing too major, but it did total my car. Along with giving me a slight fracture in my left ankle. But the thing that still stands out the most to me is that 30 seconds or so; from when the other guy ran the red light, hit me, and my car spun around and came to a stop.  It was only 30 or 40 seconds I'm sure. But it's a 30 or 40 seconds that I can't remember. At all.  I distinctly recall hearing his brakes, and seeing his car a split second before he hit. And I also remember the guy then standing at my door, asking if I was okay. Everything between those moments, is a complete blank. (I always read about seeing things in slow motion, and your life flashing before your eyes, and all that. But it sure didn't happen that way for me! Quite possibly that stuff is just movie magic anyway, but it sounds good, right? Or am I the only one whose ever wondered about that kind of thing? Yes, Kara, no one else is that quirky. Oh, okay then. Meanwhile, back at the ranch...)


My point is, in that split second, POOF, my life could have been over! Just that quick. It's happened that way for plenty of people. If that were the case, would I have really been ready? I mean, had my life shown anything of import?  What do I spend my time on? (Reading, reading, more reading, a little social life, church, Internet, more Internet, then more reading, etc. You get the picture!)

I actually deal some with hospice patients and their families. (And let me just say right up front that hospice is awesome! In a 'they really help people' kind of way.)  And one thing that becomes clear pretty quickly, is if you have any regrets in your life, when you know you're dying they become about a million times worse!  On the other hand, those who absolutely believe in life after death, in God especially, they're ready to go long before they actually die.  When I go in their room to talk to them, there's peace on their face and in their voice.  Those with regrets? Their faces and voices are filled with fear, and sadness, and despair.

Okay, so, getting away from the depressing stuff, I just want to say this.  Live your life!  If there's something you want to do, try and make it happen!  Meet new people!  You never know who you might impact. And that impact may not take very long at all.  (In fact, it more than likely won't.  People can generally get a feel for who you are within just a few conversations. It doesn't take much time.)  If you need to make a change, do it! Most especially, care about others!!!  Helping other people out, even in small ways, are how BIG impacts are made! I firmly believe that.

And above all else, enjoy life!  God made this life to be lived, not endured!!!!!!  Believe it!

 








PS: Toodle-loo kangaroos!