Please wear yellow

Ok, so two posts in one day... a little crazy, I know. I can't help it though! Some days I have so much on my mind and some days it's just empty in there. I was just reminiscing about Maura. I frequently visit her mom's blog simply because I love reading her blogs. She has a way of being transparent with her grief that I find refreshing in a world where most people either hide their pain or flaunt it. I was reading her mom's blog today, and I watched the videos of Maura's trips to Japan, Paris, and Maura's graduation video. I just bawl every time I think about or see a picture of Maura. The main thing that comes to mind is, how selfish am I for wasting my life away when I'm not promised tomorrow. Maura was such an inspiration because she lived every part of her life to the fullest. She may not have always known where her life was headed, but she was enjoying the ride. So often I'm too concerned with where I'm going, to the point where I don't enjoy the ride. It's all about the destination for me. I have to stop myself, I have to take each day as it comes and love every minute of that day. We aren't promised tomorrow. We aren't promised a lifetime to complete our work for Christ. I think that thought never occurs to some of us, myself included. I assume that I have this great purpose that will take a lifetime to complete, but the truth is that Maura had a great purpose, and her lifetime was 22 years. She didn't waste any time, and she spent every day as if it were her last, even before her diagnosis. She continues to inspire even after death, which is a great accomplishment for a 22 year old woman. I have to live like this from now on. I have to wake up each day ready to dive into the day, loving every minute of it. I think what Dr. Hightower said at Maura's funeral was perfect... she embodied the fruits of the spirit. She was love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. She was all of these things. I'm challenging myself, and I challenge everyone to live a life like this. When I have to remind myself that life is short and my purpose is great, I say to myself "Please wear yellow..."