If I can, at lunchtime each day I jog in Powhatan. I start at the YMCA, and my route takes me all around the village, through Scottville, behind the courthouse, in front of the Rescue Squad building, through the cemetery, and on the trail that connects Scottville back to the YMCA. I love jogging in the village, it is peaceful, there are sidewalks, and I love being in the woods on the trail.
When I jog through the cemetery there are always names on tombstones that I notice. I always see Don Fitch’s grave. And Dick Rabon's. I always notice Helen Mason’s, I can look and see Bob Cosby’s name, and Dot Wilkins’ and Nancy Stoll’s. I can’t see their names from the road, but I see the grave of Dover and Audrey Johnston. Several times a week I see all of these and many more. People I remember fondly, that I love. I also think about those who walk or jog in Wayne Memorial Park in Goldsboro, NC, where my mom was buried two years ago this week.
I look at all of the names on the tombstones, and I often notice the dates of their life. I quickly do the math in my mind: “wow, he lived to ninety-eight years old.” “Goodness, she was only thirty-nine, so young.” I think about the span of their lives, the number of their days. From time to time as I am in the cemetery looking at names and dates the thought passes through my mind: my days are numbered too.
This thought, to some (and to me on some days) is quite the downer. But, it is also clarifying. I don’t have an unlimited amount of time. One day our lives will come to an end. And we can allow this sobering reality to get us down, or it can be a motivator for a more fruitful life. We get one chance, don’t waste it.
This is part of the message for Ash Wednesday. As the ash smudge is imposed on our foreheads we know, we are reminded, that we were created from dust, and to dust we shall return. So, make it count. Don’t delay those things that are most important. You get one chance, don’t waste it.
All of those names that I see, those people that I think so much of, none of them were perfect. And neither are we. We are human, but we do have the capacity for God’s goodness in our families, our community, and our world. Make it count. Follow Jesus with all that you have, and take His Way seriously. No other way will lead to life.
Forgive. Love with abandon. Don’t carry grudges. Be a peacemaker. Give. Show mercy. Don’t do things for show. Tell the truth. Honor commitments. Don’t speak harsh words. Don’t hate. Don’t show partiality between different types of people. Be holy.
You get one chance. Your days, like mine, are numbered. Make it count.