So Sunday is a piece where I touch on spiritual things. I have said it before and will say it every Sunday that I am a Christian. I know so many people have problems with religion and you know why? It’s because it is full of people! People are broken and will ALWAY fail and fall. Pastor? He will fail! Co-workers? They will fail! Your mother who has gone to church her whole life? She will fail! The guy on your bowling team that just found Jesus? He will fail! All religions are filled with people and people are flawed. I hate to break this to you but if you judge Christianity on me or my blog . . . you will be disappointed because I too am flawed. I long to be perfect and live the way I am called to live but, I stumble, I fall, and to be honest I crash.
Anyway, let me step away from the lectern and talk about my friends the Jamersons. They live a life that I think a lot of people would be jealous of. They travel all of the time and have awesome adventures. They are in Curacao and have been for a week. They take big trips like this about twice a year. They have been more places than I can even name writing this blog. Ireland, South America, and they even lived in Russia for a year! This is just the major travel. They spend countless weekends every year going to local festivals and spending great weekends with friends and family in cabins and hotels. They live the life of adventure and are loving life. I have just honestly scratched the surface on the adventures these two take and if you are human, you are imagining these trips and may even be a bit jealous. Maybe you think they are rich people who own their own company or are inheritance babies spending the money of their parents. Well that is not the point I am trying to make tonight but, in case you were wondering, She is a daytime bartender at my local Applebee’s and he is an engineer for Boeing (or a contractor, I am not sure). They are working people like us. They have made a choice on how to live their life and they are doing it!
I was having dinner with them just before they left on this last trip and I told them how awesome I thought they were. They live life to the fullest and when their life is done they will look back and be able to say that they did just what they wanted to and live the life they wanted with no regrets.
I looked at them and said, “I love you guys, but that is said out of admiration and not jealousy at all.” I felt I needed to tell them that because it would be easy to look at their life and covet it. They have no kids and they can take off when the want and live this great life. There are lots of things I want to do and travel is definitely one of them. I however have just chosen a different path that, I have no doubt others like the Jamersons could look at with envy, the same way. I have a family. I have four boys that are turning into the most amazing young men a father could ever hope for. They are smart and driven each in their own way. I am immeasurably proud of all 4 of them. We have struggled, laughed, and cried together. We have gone on some great trips to the lake and Disneyland. We have driven across the country and have spent hours on trains and busses. each an adventure of their own.
You see I chose a family and I have poured my life into it, when the end of my days come I will look back with no regrets. Sure there will always be things I want to do and places I want to go but I will have no regrets. My friends the Jamersons will look back and be able to do the same thing. Though they chose a different path they are living life to the fullest based on the decisions they made and will have no regrets ever.
Are you living that life? The life that you chose to the fullest? Will you look back in your final days and smile? If not . . . embrace your life and your decisions. Live THAT life to the fullest you can.
365 Days To My First Million. 