Deadlines

As I write this, I am aware that recently, the last night of late night show host Jay Leno was on the air. My favorite part of his show has always been his Monday night "Head lines."

But in this blog, I want to mention something that sounds similar, but plays out much differently:

Deadlines.

Deadlines are those things that many of us hate and yet, others of us love.

The deadline is that final moment when all must be said and done ... And all must be turned in and submitted.

As I said, many hate these things. For those of us, these bring unneeded stress and pressure. These have driven men and women to do things they would later regret or to live in such a manner that one's life could be shortened or caused to be less than full.

And other people love deadlines. For those of us, deadlines bring something similar to an adrenaline rush ... And cause greater and more concentrated focus of attention and on detail.. Somehow, the need to finish by a certain time causes that time to be a motivator.

We all respond differently to deadlines.

But I want to suggest to each of us that deadlines are nothing to be played with. In fact, we each have an appointed time when life as we know it will all be over and all will have been said and done.

For that reason, I urge each of us to respond more intently to that focus of the journey of our life.

Our journey is not about what we have done right or wrong. It's not about what we have planned and dreamed. And it's not about what we have succeeded in or failed.

Instead, it's about how we have lived. It's about how we love God. It's about how we treat others.

As Martin Luther King Jr. has said (and others have repeated):

• It's not about how long you have lived ...
• It's about how well you have lived.

And Hillary Cooper once said,

• Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take
• But by the moments that take our breath away.

So I ask you today as you live, as you breathe and as you enjoy the journey:

• How have you loved God?
• How have you treated others?
• How have you lived and forgiven yourself?

Answer those questions before the deadline is upon you

... while you still have time to do something about them ...

While you have time to truly love and honor God ...

While you have time to show and tell those whom you love that you really do love them ...

While you have time to stop beating yourself up for all your shortcomings and failures ...

While you have time to forgive yourself and to love yourself ...

You know the time I'm talking about ...

I'm talking about that time ...

Before the deadline is up.