Jonathan is nearing 79 years of age. When he reminds his family that his time on this earth may be running out, they cut him off with a humorous remark. “God doesn’t want you yet.” Or “You look too good and healthy for your age!” Jonathan explains he isn’t saying this for self-pity or for compliments, rather he is simply preparing now, to let go more easily when his time to leave this earth does arrives.
Jonathan is on to something. In life we are always saying “good bye” to something. We bid farewell to our “hair” to “our youthful energy" in running a 10 K race and even our hearing! Life helps us to let go whether we are ready or not.
When St Francis de Sales was asked “If you were told you are to die in the next minute what would you do?" He simply responded. “Exactly what I am doing right now.” In other words, stay focused on the present moment. There is no better way to live or to die, for that matter, than to be doing well what we are doing in our present moment!
Jonathan is right in preparing. He understands that living on earth means we are always approaching eternity. This is why it is good practice every once in a while, to remind ourselves of this by “Living today well!”