Living a Worthwhile Life

Have you ever asked a stupid question? Perhaps like me, you have heard, “There are no stupid questions.” I think I found one. A mother of one of our in-laws recently passed away. I called to offer condolences and ask if there was anything I could do. I heard myself asking, “Was this expected?” I’m sure you know what I mean; there are sudden, unexpected deaths and then there are the deaths that come on the heels of doctors’ prognosis. Interestingly enough, my in-law said, “Oh yeah, we’ve been expecting this for 30 years” (due to heart problems).

As I reflected on our brief conversation, I thought, How stupid of me to ask if it was expected. From the moment we are born we begin to die. No matter how good a life we live, no matter how long a life we live, if Jesus tarries, we’re all gonna die. In light of that, I can see why certain cultures weave a strand of mourning into the tapestry of life in the joyful event of birth. Being in this world, we will have trying times and death lies ahead.

As I was contemplating the difficult business of living and dying, I came up with the name of someone that made me smile, an example of a life that’s worth emulating: John Chapman. It is said that John Chapman, a.k.a. Johnny Appleseed, walked the countryside for nearly 50 years, creating nurseries for his precious seed that would grow into apple trees. I never noticed how many are scattered abroad until last fall when I saw trees heavily laden with the copious fruit everywhere we went. What a testament to this legendary man.  He is an example to us of finding something worth living for and doing it until our dying day. Could you imagine what life would be like if we lived our lives full of passion like he did? We don’t need platforms or stages to fulfill our purpose, we simply need to be faithful to cultivate the “seeds” God gave us and deposit them everywhere we go.

So how do we live a worthwhile life? We live like we’re going to die — because that’s what’s going to happen if Jesus tarries. Do I relish the thought of dying? No, not necessarily, but it’s gonna happen. I need to do what I can do: Live my best life in the here and now. Like Johnny Appleseed, I need to drop as many seeds and build as many nurseries as I can to grow and guard my purpose. Are you willing to do the same?

Join me today in living and loving life . . . and maybe eat an apple.