Thursday, November 27, 2008

Living Life Backwards

I've been reading a book by Robert Littlejohn called "Wisdom and Eloquence". In it he talks about teaching kids with the end in mind. What do we want our kids to be able to do when they graduate high school? What do we teach them their senior year? Their Junior year? And so on down to Kindergarten. As we plan to home school Ashley, this seems like a very good plan.

But I was thinking today...what if I lived my life with the end in sight? As a Christian, my eternal life is secure in my faith in Christ's atoning work. But what about the end of this life?

If I don't want to be buried in a piano crate, I need to keep my weight in check. OK that was a bit of an exaggeration but still. How do I want to be remembered? I'm remembered as the singing cashier at the book store. Or the town crier--for my closing announcements.

And bringing those two ideas together...How do I want Ashley to remember me? What do I want her to learn simply by watching me? Exercise is a daily enjoyable task. Housework is a way of life. That whatever our hands find to do, we do with all our might. That eating healthy is as much fun or even more than eating junk. That cooking is not a chore. That reading is great fun. That nature walks are an everyday thing...rain or shine.

A similar idea is touted in lots of home decorating books...Don't start with the stuff, start with the vision. How do you want your home to feel? to you? to your family? to guests?

I'm going to have to think on these things a bit more.

I've lived a lot of my life for today. Eating what tasted good, even if I feel bloated later. Resting in when a brisk walk would have energized me more. Reading and watching for entertainment alone without even trying to glean nuggets of lasting truth.

There is a balance between living for today and living for the end. Maybe that's what I want to be remembered as...a Balanced Person...

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