When Life Hits The Pause Button

Have you noticed how, when we're preparing to go somewhere, we find ourselves taking all the effort to be in time for the cab, bus, train, plane etc, so we can get to where we're going. But all the rush lasts only until we get into the mode of transportation that takes us to our destination. Then we settle down for the ride, satisfied that we made it in time. Notice, how though we haven't reached our destination yet, we settle down and take it easy, enjoying the journey to our destination, knowing that there's nothing more we can do to hasten our getting to where we're going - it all lies with the driver or pilot to get us there. 

When I ponder on this, I realise that the same is true in life in general too. There are certain stages in our lives, when we're in a rush to accomplish things in life, meet goals etc. and then, suddenly (or graduallly), things can change. For any of the following reasons (illness, old age, sudden tragedy, loss of a loved one, losing a job, natural disaster etc), we may find ourselves having to take a pause from the race we're on, and resign ourselves to the fact that life's pace needs to change, going forward. Notice, we may not have reached our destination yet, but still the rush is either on pause or the pace has changed. There's still a distance to go and in time we'll get there, but we're no longer in a rush anymore. There's no point in stressing ourselves out to hasten our journey - it's not in our hands anyway. We just need to take life at a different pace and relax for the rest of the journey. 

It's during these 'pause' moments that we need to introspect and take stock of our life's pace and more so, life's purpose. We need to ask ourselves what we're really trying to achieve in life. At the end of the race, we wouldn't want to find that we had run in vain, or that there was no one else really competing with us, or that the finish line had nothing to offer after all. What a tragedy that would be indeed and a realisation a bit too late. 

Life is not about us getting ahead of the rest, possessing the most and best, making a name for ourselves, holding sway over others, having pleasure to the max, or any other self-indulgent endeavour. Rather, it's about fulfilling one's purpose for being born into this world. To love God and to love one another is all we're called to do in life. Nothing gives greater satisfaction and fulfilment in life than this. Until we discover this truth we will continue on in this mad rush to get nowhere, and all to no avail.

When we ponder life's path in the pause, we prepare ourselves for the next phase of the journey. But if we fail to ponder during the pause, we run the risk of missing out the purpose behind the pause and we continue on in our journey having learnt nothing new in the process.

If you haven't already discovered your life's purpose, and would like to do so, there's only One Person who can help you discover it, and He's the One who created you. He knows why and He also knows how to help you begin and complete that process of fulfilling your life's purpose to the full. And He has made the way possible - it's through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. If you've never known God personally, there's no better time than now.

If you were blessed by this thought, please share it with others

Feel free to write me at: nuggetsfromeverydaylife@gmail.com

Michael Collins