I can remember the first time I heard that question… It was probably more than 10 years ago when my mom said it. I don’t exactly remember what we were talking about, but I do remember answering her rhetorical question with, “A temporary state of being.” I’ve gone on thinking that for a long time: life is a temporary state of being… until recently, that is…
It’s Many Things Yes, it’s true. Our lives here on earth are temporary. But I’ve come to realize over the past few months that it’s so much more than that. Life is a gift. None of us had to do anything to get here. Our lives were given to us. Life is a journey. It’s a small world. We all have so many similarities. And we probably have more in common than we have in contrast. Still, we all have different experiences. Different struggles. Different triumphs. Different joys. And different hurts. Our roads traveled aren’t paved in a straight line. But I think most of all… life is an opportunity. You never know what you’ll face in your life. And sometimes, the things we face can seem so discouraging, frustrating, painful, and everything in between. Yet, I’ve learned that everything we have been (and will) go through is for a reason. They’re meant to be used by us to share with others… even if it’s just one person. By now, I hope you can see that life is many things. Among those, life is also a story. A story that’s put together by our very own, unique perspective crafted by what happens each day. The challenges and losses we face aren’t for nothing (James 1:2-4). They’re meant to build us up. Make us stronger. More resilient. So, in the good and the bad, remember to think of your life as an opportunity. An opportunity to learn. Learn from your mistakes. And help someone by warning them of a roadblock ahead. An opportunity to grow. Grow past the obstacles that slowed you down. And show the next person how to avoid them. An opportunity to share. Share your gifts and talents. Share your story. And teach someone what to do with theirs. An opportunity to be a blessing. Be a blessing when you’ve been blessed. And encourage the next person to strive to do the same.
Things Remembered It’s interesting. I didn’t know I’d be writing about this until today. But sometimes, the best thing we can do for our finances… is first recognize the things that are far more important. Everything I write about here in Making Cents is with the intention to help you practice wisdom and achieve financial wellness and freedom. And I do it because these things open up more opportunities to do everything I listed above. Over the years, I’ve learned that achieving financial freedom isn’t really about retiring early or never having to work hard. It’s not even about going on vacations whenever and wherever, or living in the house of my dreams. Those things are good. But they’re not the end goal. My freedom is about being available. So, whenever God calls, I’m always ready to answer. Don’t get me wrong. Having nice things is not a crime. But I never want to become so focused on getting out of debt and fully funding my retirement, that I forget about what life is really about. Because what good is it to gain the whole world… only to lose my soul? While you’re on your journey to financial freedom, I want to encourage you to stay focused on what’s really important: eternal life. It’s a daily task for me. I have my good days and my bad days. And I have a ways to go before achieving some of my goals. But in reality, there’s really no such thing as having ever “made it” in life. When people around you achieve their goals, be sincerely happy for them. Or when they don’t, don’t put them down. When you achieve financial freedom, celebrate. Just don’t forget to use it as an opportunity in your life to help, to share, to encourage, to give, and to love. Never forget that you owe no one anything but love (Romans 13:8). And never forget that you don’t have to prove yourself to anyone. Our lives aren’t measured in the things that glimmer. The money we make… the career we achieve… the car we drive… the clothes we wear… the latest gadgets we buy… the degrees we earn… the title behind our name… the house we live in… People around us don’t really care about any of those things when we’re gone. What they care about—and what they’ll remember—is how we made them feel.
With gratitude,
Melody C. Kerr, MS
Writer, Editor, Financial Coach
