Not too long ago I read The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy. Another book I was reading made reference to this story, and since it was only about 100 pages long I decided to give it a shot. I must tell you that I was somewhat haunted by what I read. The title of the book accurately describes what is inside - a man describing his slow and tumultuous death. It challenged me to make my life count.
Toward the end of the book I was struck by the comments of a bed-ridden Ilyich as his life was ebbing away. "It's as though I had been going steadily downhill while I imagined I was going up. That's exactly what happened. In public opinion I was moving uphill, but to the same extent life was slipping away from me. And now it's gone and all I can do is die!"
How does that strike you?
When we try to live out a story that is written for us by the world (job, family, peers, maybe even the church we attend) we may have some success and feel like we are climbing the mountain. However, in doing so, we will one day be faced with the reality that we were heading the opposite direction and allowing seasons of true life to slip away. On the other hand, experiencing true significance, and a worthwhile life comes from living out God's design on our life. Instead of a mountain, you find yourself on a purposeful path, living out your part of God's story.
So, which story have you been living? Today? Last week? The past month?
wow....God spoke to me tonight through this post. it seems He might be trying to say something to me...
Posted by: dan | September 12, 2005 at 09:04 PM