Tuesday afternoon I was standing outside listening to a bar banging against a ladder in the wind. On this bar was the beautiful United States flag. I stood in awe of that flag and was just proud to be an American and living in the country that we live in. Freedom is definitely not free, and it needs to be appreciated.
Why I was standing in amazement of the flag in that moment broke my heart. We were saying goodbye to a man who lived his life serving others.
Two weeks prior I was at an accident scene that a very well loved person had died. While I was waiting to do what I had to do, I received word that my niece had given birth to a little boy six weeks prematurely. I stood at that scene and marveled at the circle of life and how life ends for one person, but it was just beginning for someone else.
Sadly, just a few short hours later, the precious baby was not strong enough to handle this world and he went on home.
I was at the funeral home, lovingly looking at this beautiful little baby boy lying in a casket, and I was so overwhelmed by emotion that I had to immediately leave. Looking at that sweet baby laying in a casket made me think about my own son who, had he lived, would be turning 28 at the end of this month, but alas, it was not meant to be.
I don’t understand the who, why, how and what way God makes the choices that He makes when He calls people home. I just know I have to trust in His plan.
Life is fragile and you never know from one day to the next what is going to happen. Who’s going to still be with you?
This past Monday I was on scene of three different vehicle accidents. In all three of the accidents, the people involved could have, maybe even should have, been hurt a lot worse than they were. However, the worst received just minor injuries. The irony of those accidents is the first two I attended were more so for work. The third one, the one that was at 9:30 p.m. on Richland Creek Road, that one, I didn’t attend as a journalist. I didn’t attend as a first responder. I attended as a mother. The teenage driver was my son.
Looking at the car in the ditch, I realized the accident could’ve been much worse. The damage could’ve been much worse. What damage there was was replaceable, and for that I’m very grateful to God. Replacing a car is definitely an easy thing compared to replacing a loved one who is actually irreplaceable.
I don’t understand how this works. All I know is that God said to come forth, and when he says come forth you have to obey just like Lazarus had to obey when God called him forth from the grave. When God says come forth, we have to accept the fact that it’s time to come home.
Life is so fragile. No matter how much we can plan, in the end we do not have the final say. Trust me I’m a planner. Going on vacation, I will plan every detail of the trip before we even leave much to the exasperation of my family.
But what are we doing in the meantime? Do you live life full of love? Do we live burdened down? Or do we live knowing He has a purpose and a plan for us? Right now, I can tell you where my answer is ,and it’s not the first nor the third. I am like a lot of you who can say 2020 has been anything but kind. But I also know 2020 is still going on so life goes on. What are we going do to make it different so that we can have a better outcome?
When it comes our time, are people going to say “life got the best of them?” or “they lived life to the fullest.” I know I want it to be to the fullest. How about you?
Let us commit to do better, even in 2020. Let us strive to make our moments better because we don’t know. I just hope next week I’m not writing about you passing away way too soon.
I’d much rather write about your awesome adventures. So start living.
Susan Amundson is managing editor of
The Columbian-Progress. She may be
reached at (601) 736-2611 or
samundson@columbianprogress.com.
