Live Like You Were Dying

As I mentioned in a previous post, our church is going through a series based on the popular country-western song "Live Like You Were Dying". The pastor is preaching sermons on this, the church staff is blogging on it, all life groups are teaching it, even the teens and children are studying it. This past Sunday was week 4, which is the end of the program developed by Dr. Gary Smally. Next Sunday is a bonus week.

I understand the concept. If you only had thirty days to live, what would you do? As the song says, maybe skydiving, Rocky Mountain climbing, ride a rodeo bull, talk sweeter, love deeper. What would I do? Back in 1980 I might have said, "Visit Paris", but I was fortunate to do that, so I have to reprogram. In 2000 I might have said, "Write the great American novel", but I did that in 2001-03 and again 2011. Although, the "great" part is still undetermined. So again I have to reprogram.

The first week we were to write on a card one thing we would do, then clip it on a netting hung in our main hallway. I really couldn't thing of anything to write. Finally, so as to participate, I wrote "Visit Moscow and St. Petersburg." Although I'd like to see them, I'm not sure they would be my first choice.

The fact is I'm not wired to think that way. Maybe the song writer was, but I'm not. Responsibility has too great a hold on me. The need to do something other than what I'm doing doesn't have much of a hold on me.

So I may not have benefited that much from this study. Don't get me wrong: it's been good think on the issue. The DVD we've been watching is good, and the weekly life group classes have given much food for thought. But I think you have to be wired a certain way to have this bee a life changing experience.