Big Lives

From time to time I get some small reminder of what an incredible life I have been afforded and get jolted a bit to make the very most of this life God has given me. Not excluding the fact of having a great wife whom I love greatly and enjoy three fantastic kids I was able to live in a circle of friends who are the salt of the earth.
Here is what grabs my mind every now and then! I get this memory of a Josh Doss who loved God with a passion and commitment that was second to none. He would do anything for his friends except let them win in golf, ping pong, or whatever game was on. I think of a Barry Whatley who was large and in charge. He seized the moment of everyday and had a laugh that made you laugh and he made sure his fiends knew he was there for them. I think of a Ray Prestage who had a smile as big as his heart. He was as diverse as anyone you knew and could do most anything, especially sing! I think of Tony Brower who was the epitome of a fighter, musician, and cowboy. He had the ability to fill up a room whenever he entered the doors. Like, you never needed to ask, “Is Tony here?”
The common denominator of these four great men is they all were passed from this life way too early! They all seemed to have an uncanny ability to be passionate friends and be aggressive in their lives. They had infectious smiles and lived life at a high level that made you want to emulate some or all their traits. Ok, before we bring these four into sainthood we who knew them well knew they were not perfect but made life matter.
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.
Life is fragile and we do not have a lock on when we get to die. But we do have time now to impact friends, chase our passions, make someone smile, and prove life is worth living to fullest!
Some people die at 25 and aren't buried until 75.
Benjamin Franklin