Living Like You Were Dying

Posted by Leona Bergstrom

We have written a good deal lately about the idea of making lists of things to do and experience before we die. It sounds so distant and far from reality. I think I’ve treated it like a baby shower game.

But, more often than I wish, the truth of life ending hits home and I’ve begun to wonder what it is that I really want to experience on this earth. The death of this young author, Dave Freeman, (see yesterday's post) who once took the time to compose a list of 100 things he wanted to do before dying, seems cruel and way too ironic.

I’ve thought about what my list should look like. Would it be different if I knew I was dying? Or if I was 20 years older? Would I want to go skydiving and ride a mechanical bull like Tim McGraw’s song “Live Like You Were Dying?” Probably not.

There are truly more places I want to go, like Sweden and Alabama. There are things I wish I owned, like a cabin by a river or a Bayliner motor boat. But, what I really want is to have deep conversations with my children and grandchildren about life and faith. I want to speak with clarity and grace to some of my relatives who don’t understand that God is real and that He loves them. I want to do and experience things that have meaning to God. I want to be sure that old people living in poverty get something to eat. I want to understand the generations and watch them interact with each other. I want to experience serenity.

Rather than live like I’m dying, I think I’m going to try living like I’m alive. Stay tuned.