Tracks In The Dust

A Father's Advice About Learning the Mission of Life

Archive for the tag “Eternity”

13 Jun 2012

Save It For Later?

I noticed that throughout my life, I have had a tendency to save things and collect things. A good friend and fellow blogger recently discussed this on his site, and it just reminded me of how good I had gotten. Perhaps too good.

Do you put aside things in places like drawers,closets,garages, trunks or other places in your life? You move them to a place that you can remember, and “save it for later”. Silly things like papers, clippings, pens, pictures, along with collectables like magazines or CD’s ( I have way too much old vinyl records by the way still in storage).

What do you save? What do you find yourself putting aside for safe keeping?

Today I have to give my kids credit, they don’t save nearly as much. So much more mobile than the past generation. That can be good I no doubt, but once again my pack-rat mentality says “what if you need it later?” or “you are such a disposable generation” – like they don’t appreciate the value of their “stuff”. Just accumulating stuff though is not an accomplishment.

Collecting and saving money or valuable things or family mementos isn’t a bad thing necessarily…cherishing history is essential to understanding why you are where you are today. It keeps you from making the same mistakes as your ancestors and appreciating the ways in which they survived to get you where you are in life’s timeline. But there are more important collections. Collecting friends and people around you that you can share in God’s grace and enjoy your time while here on Earth. Not putting aside God in your life. Those are the most valuable things I think. They don’t need to be locked up, they are in your heart and in your mind as those you need and want most.

So for some of us I guess we need to find ways to shake the habit, or make sure we understand that eventually we will run out of room or places for our possessions. For others traveling light and having the fundamental things is all that matters. Either way cherish the people and the spirit of the Word in your life, and things can be good. Real good.

PRACTICAL PROVERBS

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged being remembered, cherish, Divine grace, Eternity, Grace, Happiness, Life, Memories, tracks in the dust

27 Apr 2012

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What Are Your Plans?

What are your plans? I mean is- what are you going to do tomorrow? OR the weekend? Or next week? Next month? Before the end of the year? Just what are you planning to do?

Sometimes it seems we have it all mapped out. Dinner out tomorrow, shopping on the weekend. Going to a movie, going out to the club. But then things happen. Work gets in the way, or just emotional baggage comes and swoops you up and makes the whole thing change.

The harder you plan it seems, the more things seem to change the course. Sometimes it seems others have plans for you. They influence the direction your going and make for an abrupt turn of events. There are times that is fun, just go with it and let it happen. Other times it feels like things are just spinning out of control and your plans are just not happening the way you envisioned.

Of course those can just be the plans in your near future, jotted down on your calendar on your smartphone, scribbled on the calendar on your desk. But those longer term plans – kind of fuzzy? Kind of indefinite? Things you wish you could do someday or something you have imagined will be in your future?

Accepting change is as difficult as accepting the plan. Finding the goals to get where you want to be can be difficult. Not worrying about that forever tomorrow, but at least putting one foot in front of another and head out toward that point in the distance. “Let tomorrow take care of itself” is a spiritual path we can all count on on our journey. But aiming for the future is also what hope depends on, it is the picture that keeps us moving. No GPS can get us there, no Google map that will put a pin on the point of destination. But it is your inner compass that you have to look at. Head out. Make plans… know that in the course of things it will change but make sure you have a vision.

Yes, you have to work on your plan. If you want things to go your way you have to focus on working the plan. You are in control of your future. But don’t forget that there are as many deviations as there are straight lines. Change can be good. The core of what you want though, is you and the things written on your heart and soul. So just go now… make tracks while we have our time here on Earth. But make them count on your journey. Plan on it. Plan on change. Don’t be afraid of the change of course, and with the view from your heart, don’t worry about the final outcome. Trust yourself to do what is right on the long and winding road to the end.

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life and tagged Acceptance, Bad Plans, cherish, Emotional baggage, Eternity, Future, God, Plan, Reality Check, tracks in the dust

19 Feb 2012

Eternity Matters Most

When my wife’s father was coming to the last days of his life, one of the things he wanted to be sure would happen; that he would be remembered. A God-fearing man, he was kind-hearted and kind to all around him his entire life. But who would think of him after he was gone?

It seems so many people are striving to leave their mark on the world – and with such a noisy world jammed so full of ways to communicate in this Information Age, they are having to make more noise to get noticed in the frey. It could be such simple things…but unfortunately like the headlines today seem to scream, many find such self-centered ways by finding their way to public venues with guns and statements. While others grieve the passing of fallen popular figures as an epic passing that serves as a never forgotten milestone to the time we have here. Many others just want to be remembered for their kindness or generosity. But often that is just a whisper in comparison.

No matter how someone might be remembered, or for how long on this Earth they will have a part in someone’s elses life of remembrance, there will be a time when that will disappear too. What is left is where you believe you will once you have taken the last breath here on Earth. Is there another breath elsewhere, is there eternity? It is the most important part of living, it is knowing that it matters most. And being good with that.

Memories will come and go, like the proverbial tracks in the dust. Generations will continue to build upon generations until the end of human time. When we live in this world, the very short time we exist will be ours to invest. Perhaps not to invest in being “remembered” but in doing our best to assure that others know what matters most. It is what is beyond our time here. So while we are here, we must learn to enjoy the passage of time. It is the secret of life.