“So the next time you encounter fear, consider yourself lucky. This is where the courage comes in. Usually we think that brave people have no fear. The truth is that they are intimate with fear.” (Pema Chodron, “When Things Fall Apart”)

“Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.’ ” Isaiah 35:4

“As uncertainty and groundlessness increase, as we lose control of external circumstances, we find ourselves with our backs to the wall. One response is to cower in the corner, hoping that chaos and suffering will just go away. But in our heart of hearts we know that will never happen. The alternative is to use this opportunity to start waking up.” (Pema Chodron, “When Things Fall Apart”)

In her book “When Things Fall Apart”, Pema Chodron talks about a friend of her who was dying of AIDS. She had the opportunity to talk with him before she left on a trip, and her friend told her that a such as he hated having this dreaded disease, he found it to be a great gift. He said, “Now every moment is so precious to me. All the people in my life are so precious to me. My whole life means so much to me.”

We hear in his words that something had changed in his thinking about death, about disease, and about his life. As he prepared for his death, the thing he had most feared had become his greatest gift. It was in his loss he gained his life.

We hear this and wonder how someone can see death as a gift. But as a pastor, I understand his perspective. Often, we take for granted the life we have — we become so consumed with surviving or getting along that the true gift of life becomes something we take for granted. When you have the opportunity to sit with someone who is dying, the conversation often goes to the appreciation for the life they have lived. And yet, from time to time, I hear the regrets – for lost opportunities, and for arguments and harsh words spoken.

Let’s not wait for our own impending deaths to wait to appreciate life. Instead, we need to see life as a blessing – all life – and all of the lives who intersect with our own. Tell the people around you how much you love and appreciate them every day. And, once in a while, let G-d know how you feel as well.

Pastor Dave