Recently I learned that a friend of mine had passed away. Although we were friends, I had not seen or talked to her for a few years. I was devastated. She was only fifty-seven years old, far too young to leave her friends behind and move on. The real pain in my heart came when I realized how important her friendship had been to me and that I had let other things become more important than that special relationship. I sat in the dark wishing that I could make the clock go backwards so that I could have at least said good-bye and to say that I was sorry for letting our friendship slip into the shadows of the past. Of course, no amount of wishing would make that happen. So, I live on, broken hearted that I had let a friend down.
The next day I received an email from one of my nephews with the following attachment, which I took the liberty of adding to:
GODS QUESTIONS
God won’t ask what kind of car you drove.
He’ll ask how many people who did not have transportation you drove.
God won’t ask the square footage of your house.
He’ll ask how many of the homeless you provided shelter for.
God won’t ask what your highest salary was.
He’ll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.
God won’t ask about the clothes you had in your closet.
He’ll ask how many you helped to clothe.
God won’t ask about your social class.
He’ll ask what kind of class you displayed
God won’t ask how many material possessions you had.
He’ll ask if they dictated your life.
God won’t ask how much overtime you worked.
He’ll ask if your overtime work was for yourself or for your family.
God won’t ask how many promotions you received.
He’ll ask how you promoted others.
God won’t ask what you did to help yourself.
He’ll ask what you did to help others.
God won’t ask what you did to protect your rights.
He’ll ask what you did to protect the rights of others.
God won’t ask how many times your deeds matched your words.
He’ll ask how many times they didn’t.
God won’t ask how much you saved.
He’ll ask how many of the hungry you fed.
God won’t ask what your job title was.
He’ll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.
God won’t ask what neighborhood you lived in.
He’ll ask how you treated your neighbors.
God won’t ask how many times you waved a flag.
He’ll ask what you did to care for a veteran.
God won’t ask about the color of your skin.
He’ll ask about the content of your character.
God won’t ask how many friends you had.
He’ll ask faithful you were to your friends.
God won’t ask how many people love you.
He’ll as how many times you said, “I love you.”
God won’t ask how many times you have asked for forgiveness.
He’ll ask how many times you said, “I forgive you.”
God knows the answer to each question before he asks it. The questions are for us to ask ourselves and then to take corrective action where it is required. Beside God, it is only each one of us that can answer the questions and determine the kind of life we have lived.
In memory of Heather, I will ask these questions, one a day, and repeat when I get to the end , of myself every day.
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