Don't Worry, Be Happy

Life is funny. When you live long enough, you start noticing things. I was out mowing my yard, and pulling weeds, (pulling them since my weed eater string kept locking up on me), when the thought hit me. 'How many times have I pulled these sames weeds, along this same fence?' The futility of it all just struck me as odd, and funny. I have spent the last 28 years at this house, taking care of my yard, pulling weeds, painting the house, etc. But just wait until I've been in the ground for a week or so, and those same weeds will be a foot high, mocking me to my grave. In the back of my mind, I think 'what's the use?'. Yes, of course I want my yard to look nice. I want my neighborhood to look nice, at least my little part of it. But what's the use, really?

We may say that we 'own' our house, or whatever, but we never really 'own' anything here on this earth. We are merely caretakers, until the next guy comes along. I know people who spend untold hours out in their yards, and/or gardens, pulling weeds, and making such a fuss over every little thing, as if that were their whole lives. I have news for them. IT'S NOT!!!

Lately, my saying has been 'Life's too short'. Life is simply too short to waste it on trivial, futile little things that don't matter. Not really. For example, my house needs to be painted this year. I have the paint, I have the ladder, the brushes, everything I need. But, if it doesn't get painted THIS year, I suppose it'll get painted next year. No big deal. I might not even be around next year to paint it anyway. I guess that will be for the next guy to do.

It may sound like I'm lazy, or nonchalant, but I'm not. I just woke up this morning, thinking about my life, and where God has brought me, from where I was. I could have made so many different decisions here and there, but didn't. And now, here I am. I have worried and fretted about every little decision I have ever made, and I'm exactly where God wanted me to be anyway. I don't have the life I had BECAUSE I worried, but in SPITE of my worrying.

Life will go on, or it won't. I will have enough money to retire on, or I won't. I will wake up tomorrow morning and enjoy my Saturday, or, again, I won't. I have a wonderful, beautiful wife, and two great boys. God has given me all that I have, not because I deserved it, or I worked hard enough for it. I have what I have because of God's grace. Sure, I have to do certain things along the way. That's part of it, isn't it? But God tells me not to worry about ANYTHING. He's got it under control. From now on, I live. I breathe. I laugh, play, work, whatever. But I will not worry. At least, I will try not to.

Now, you must excuse me. I am going to go take my shower, and go out and enjoy the rest of my day. I think I will go take some pictures, somewhere. I guess. I don't really know. I'm playing it by ear today.

God is great. All the time.