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This article is from Today's
Native Father, issue #123, September/October, 2002. Related articles from this issue: |
What Gives My Life Meaning A letter to mothers from Ilva Hertzler |
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Dear Moms, Recently I visited Eunice, a little lady who is 100 years old, a full century She still has most of her hearing and sight and a keen sense of humor. She lives alone in the same house along a country road where she has lived for over 70 years. When standing, she comes to my shoulderCand I’m not tall! She rode a four-wheeler not long ago, much to the delight of her great-grandson who lives nearby. Eunice wears a “lifeline” that she can use to call for help with the push a button. When she pushes it accident-ally, she gets a phone call: “Are you OK?” So she feels safe and cared for. Now mind you, her daughter has forbidden her to go across the road to the mailbox! So she obeys. One time she didn’t notice that a car had to stop while she got her mail. She needs to heed the warnings of those who once obeyed her long ago! But that doesn’t keep her from taking food scraps out to the field and tossing them out for the animals to pick over, or raking the lane to clear it of leaves and twigs, or walking across the lawns to visit the neighbours. No Ma’am! I asked if she went to church. She told a story about how she had rolled her car and broken her back. Now it seems that she has trouble sitting on hard benches. Though she used to teach Sunday School, she doesn’t go to church much now. I doubt that I’ll see her again in this life. However, I’ve thought of her often, wondering what gave her life meaning. She is now close to the end of her life here on earth and what does she have to show for it? For that matter, what do I have to show for my life? I’m not much more than a half-century old myself. I’ve reflected upon what gives my life meaning, what makes me want to keep going, even though the world is spinning out of control. For one thing, I know we are living in the “last days,” as defined in the Bible. Jesus could come back to earth even while I’m writing this letter to you. But if not, I still have no promise of tomorrow. God could call me Home to heaven with Him. The Bible tells me to be alert at all times, since I do not know how many days I have here on earth. If I did live to be one hundred, how would I want to be remembered? What would give my life meaning? What would God say when I meet Him in Heaven? What is important to me in this life will depend on my understanding of who I am and my purpose for living on this earth. My choices and priorities show what I believe. So, I’ll choose helping my neighbour over playing games. Then I’ll put the needs of my husband and children ahead of the needs of my neighbours. Finally, I’ll nourish my relationship with God above all these other relationships. When God made me, He made a place in my heart for Him to reside. I’ll let Him fill that God-shaped space. There will be a relationship that satisfies my deep longing for closeness and intimacy in a way than nothing else can. Some moms tell me, “I’m bored.” As we chat, I get a glimpse of how empty their lives are. They are empty because they are so full of meaningless stuff: food and drink, computer or video games, TV, cheap romance novels and material possessions. They are cramming their “God-space” full of junk that doesn’t fit. They have not reflected upon who they are, where they are going, and their purpose for being here on earth. Sure, material things tempt me too, sometims. But Why waste my time on them? PeopleCfamily, friends and others who come into my lifeCare far more important than material things. I want to make my moments, my words, my actions count for eternity. I want to live for the Lord and for others with total commitment. There are things in life that please God and will help the world to be a better place. I’ll go for them! Ilva |
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