As the world continues to struggle with the reality of the tragic death of NBA star, Kobe Bryant, his young daughter, and 7 others who lost their lives just days ago in a helicopter crash, it is hard not to ask why? We will never receive the answer to why and so many other questions, but we must understand that we did not ask to be born nor do we determine when we die. The Bible states in James 4:14 “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” We seem to understand that our days are indeed numbered, but we do not know whether than number ends at 41 or 13. The number is only in the mind and hands of God just as our birth was.

Psalm 90: 12 tells us that we should learn to number our days, that we may present to God a heart of wisdom. If we do not take the time to meditate on what that scripture truly means to us as mere human beings, we fail to understand the mere essence of life. Simply put, if we recognize that God controls the number of days in which we have to live on this earth, then it should behoove us to live life in a manner that we live each day to the fullest because we never know when it will be the last.

When the news began to break across every form of media just a few hours after the helicopter crash, my mind vacillated between two thoughts until I finally was able to drift off to sleep late that night. First, I could not get my mind off the horrific pain that Kobe’s wife and family, and the families of the others who lost their lives were experiencing. Secondly, I wanted to be as close to my loved ones (all of them), as I possibly could. Of course, I knew that was an impossibility, but I at least had to reach out to them and hear their voices. For a time, life seemed to stand still, all other concerns appeared minute.

But where do you go from here in the coming days, weeks, months? I cannot help but think that God allows things like this to happen not to punish us, or inflict pain, but to wake us up! He wants us to recognize the precious gift that life is. Your life, the life of those around you, the life of everyone He has created. At the very least we should reevaluate how we spend our days with (or without) our loved ones. Is it spent arguing over meaningless things? Is it spent focusing on self and not being considerate of the needs and feelings of others? Do we continue to let days, weeks, years go by allowing unreconciled differences to separate us? Is it far too easy for us to walk past others, sometimes not even bothering to speak, and not see that they are suffering? Can we even tell how long it has been since we told some of our loved ones that we love them? For some is it out of sight, out of mind?

We seem to easily adopt some slogans. They pop up on social media, we quickly grasp them, and begin promoting them far and wide. We stick them on our refrigerators, post them on our computers, buy them in frames and use them as wall art to decorate our homes. But do we live by those slogans and mantras. One such popular slogan is “LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH”. I believe in it and subscribe to it wholeheartedly. Yet, I fully realize that none of those things are meant to be done alone. We have been given the gift of life, for an undetermined period of time to “LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH” with those who are also precious gifts of life.

Think on these things . . .

Make a special effort to say “I love you” and mean it. Think before you speak. Criticize less — if it is not constructive, cancel it. Apologize readily and mean it. Practice the golden rule — Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Genuinely listen with open ears and an open heart. Learn how to be an encourager and a supporter. Endeavor to bring joy into the lives of others, not stress and strife. Recognize that everyone has value.

Source: First Lady Denise