Life's stories

When I go through the obituaries for a paper I write for, they seem so short.

In fact, we have some death notices that are no longer than the date a person died, where they died, the time of their funeral and the place of their burial.

It makes life seem like it was insignificant. Those names mean nothing to me, and nothing to many of the people who flip through the pages of the paper. However, to some people that name means everything and it digs a dagger into their heart just seeing their life narrowed down to such a small piece.

I think everyone has a story, and obituaries simply don't tell them. Many people don't tell their stories, because they think they're insignificant. However, the fact that everyone has lived and learned means that they have something important to pass on to someone else.

Don't minimize people around you just because it seems like they have nothing to offer. Just because they're life might fit on a few lines in an obituary doesn't mean that's all there was to them. Get to know people before you don't have a chance.

Since Christmas is tomorrow, maybe I should make a tie in with Christmas.

Sometimes when we look at Jesus, we see his obituary. We see his death on the cross and think about the great sacrifice that he gave. His death is super important, paired with the fact that he beat death and came back to life three days later, but we can't discount the fact that he lived as well.

On Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Christ - the start of his life. Jesus did a lot in the 33 years that he lived. He touched people; he healed; he taught. As we come to this season, let's start visiting all the important things that Jesus did in his life and learn from him, just the way that we should learn from each others' lives as well.

So remember once more, Jesus is the reason for the season.

Happy birthday Lord. Thank you for coming.