Is Your Life Well Lived?
Have you ever noticed that we always talk about the quality of someone’s life after they pass on with the phase, “a life well lived”. Someone else gets the final word and determines whether our lives are done right. Ironic isn’t it? And wrong.
We all have the chance to have a life well lived and find our moments of success in day to day living. For me, one of these was the day I saw how hard it is to keep 7 & 8 year-olds focused on learning. Years ago and new to teaching, I found myself alone in a second grade classroom with a stack of these kids. I loved the thrill of substitute teaching. I never knew what was coming and who I would need to outsmart for the day. It was a challenge that exhilarated me.
The well-prepared teacher had left her lesson plans in perfect order. This would be a breeze. I taught math, english, and spelling with no problem. Then we dove into science and history. That’s where things got sketchy.
The kids were studying dinosaurs. And they loved the subject matter. My assignment was to read them a dinosaur storybook. Sounds easy, right? No. I know how to pronounce about five dinosaur names. And those are mostly because of my love of the series Land of the Lost while I was growing up. But this classroom full of kids knew them all.
Tasked with reading, The Dinosaur Alphabet Book, I was in trouble. Every page listed a dinosaur name from A-Z. First page, no problem. “A is for Ankylosaurus.” I knew how to say that. Second page, PROBLEM! “B is for Baryonyx.” I had a decision to make: lose face to a classroom full of second graders or outsmart them all! Here was my chance for success - to have a life well lived in this moment.
I threw out my hands like a conductor bringing a philharmonic orchestra to a crescendo. The kid’s voices rose in unison and sang out, “BARYONYX,” and then calm as could be, I read the descriptive paragraph about the dinosaur. We repeated this twenty four more times from C is for Compsognathus to Z is for Zephyrosaurus. I still don’t have any idea how to pronounce any of these dinosaurs. And I probably never will.
But I think George, who was a brilliant teacher, would have been proud of this. It was a moment of creativity, where-with-all, and good old fashioned gumption.
George Living Life Well
And if you haven’t, I wish you could have met George. Circumstances within his first 25 years of life should have devastated him. He lost his father at a young age and had a childhood with little resources. In 1951, barely into his 20’s, he joined the army and lost his entire family as he knew it - his grandfather, his grandmother, and his mother - all people who supported him, loved him, and encouraged him.
But here is the thing about George, he had a strong spirit. His legacy will last well beyond his lifetime because he chose how to live rather than allowing his circumstances to determine his direction.
George saw the world through the eyes of a teacher. He loved reading and learning. He taught subjects and he taught teachers to teach. He hired and fired. He made good choices and bad choices in leadership. He influenced both individuals and classrooms with hundreds of students. Think about George’s impact. He built hundreds of relationships and influenced character growth, job skills, career decisions and the life direction of his students, employees, and colleagues.
That’s an impact. And it’s a life well lived. But George didn’t leave others to determine the success of his life. In George’s words, “1951 was the turning point of my life.” It was in this year, he found a new perspective and realized, “the more you put into anything, the more you get out of it.” George put his whole self into living well. In the time I had with him, he taught me many things, but by far the most important is that we’re never too old to settle for mediocre and let the world control who we are.
Each of us has to decide. Is our life well lived? Are we waking up everyday like George and purposefully choosing where to spend our time, who to influence, and how to live?
It’s not hard to figure out how. The apostle Paul tells us in Colossians.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. - Colossians 3:12-17 NIV
Now it’s our turn. Our families are impacted by who we are and how we live. I can’t list all the ways that my life is well lived. It’s more than just a few words on a page. But for me, some of it is teaching others, caring for my family, spending time in the dirt, and learning to make and create new things.
Jody Seeing The Results Of Time In The Dirt
What does a life well lived mean for you, your family, and your legacy? Let’s not allow others to determine what our success is and whether we have lived life to the fullest. Let’s choose. And change. And grow. We only get one shot at this. Let’s make it great!
Searching for wisdom and asking for grace,
Jody