"Take time to smell the roses," it has been said.  The spirit of this quote is correct, I feel. However, I am not sure about that "take time" part. If you think about it, there is no such thing as "taking time." Time just is. It clicks along at a terrifyingly steady pace as we go about our business. Time won't stop, pause, halt, or even slow down. In fact, the older I get, the more I'm convinced it speeds up. Time itself is almost impossible to define. Perhaps it's a measure of existence from the perspective of how much of it has already gone by. Nowadays a year feels like three months. In a decade or so? Well, mere minutes, I suspect.

I received word yesterday that a business associate passed away suddenly. From all outward appearances he was otherwise in perfect health. Gone. Just like that.

I am saddened for the loss felt by his family and friends, and I am hopeful that he knew the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as his own. Also, his death causes me to think the deep questions that often hide out at the far extremes of my consciousness. Things like this seem to chase those thoughts out onto center stage, overpowering their bashfulness and forcing them to be clearly seen. I am reminded of our mortality, of the brief stop-over that this life is, and the purpose we are to serve while here.

Stop. Think. Pray. Then be about what it is you were created to be about. Only you can do what only you can do. So stop wasting time waiting, arranging, planning, scheming, or preparing. Get busy being and doing. And while you're at it, hug someone you love and let them know how you feel. Who knows, it just might be your last chance.