You Could be Gone in a Flash

Walking outside in a lightning storm is not the wisest of activities. But wisdom isn’t the kind of thing that goes through your head when the night sky is black with rain clouds.

Oh, but if I don’t go home now, I’ll get wet. That’s bad. The thought of getting hit by lightning somehow fades into the recesses of the mind.

That is, until you step out into the middle of it.

Do you ever count the seconds between the sight of the flash and the pounding of the thunder to figure out how far away the lightning strikes? I do.

Four seconds.

Six seconds.

Nine seconds.

Three seconds.

BAM. The whole sky goes white. BOOM. The thunder reverberates all around. A solitary second separates the two events. That’s just three hundred meters. Three. Hundred. Meters.

We quicken our footsteps at that point. The rain begins to fall. What was once so important now pales against the devastating force of the storm.

We reach home as it starts to hail outside. I’m glad to be inside. I’m glad to be alive.

The strike probably wouldn’t have harmed me – transferring its energy instead to a nearby building. But what if it did? What if it hit the tree I was walking under? Then what?

With the quickness of the bolt of light, my life would disappear.

***

I think about that moment a lot. At times it seems you are the master of the universe – that you have so much power. And then in a flash, you become powerless. Life is fragile.

The end terrifies me sometimes. But why? Why do I fear it? It will come no matter what I do.

Perhaps it is a reflection of all that I still have left to do. There are people I hope to touch. There are places I wish to visit. There are experiences I want to have. But you can never do everything. There is always something that will be left undone.

Perhaps it is the appreciation of what I have. Countless blessings surround me, pouring into my life. I have people that I love – family, friends, mentors, and you. I have a project that I care about. I have wealth and riches. But these also are temporary, and will pass away one by one.

Perhaps it is the fear of not being truly alive when the end comes. Have I given everything I have? Are there unplayed cards still in my hand? Have I been the best possible husband and friend? Have I treasured each moment for the gift that it is? This is where I find my fear.

In the face of the end, perspective shifts. You stop thinking about the things you have to do and the people you have to please. You stop worrying about the insignificant details. You see what is important. And what is important is everything.

***

Of what decisions do you choose to live
For no one else can pick the path ahead
Of what mindset and presence will you give
Before life is complete and you are dead
Of what field shall you make your sacred trade
Where you pour forth from your heart and soul
Of what work shall you dare to be afraid
And then embrace it as your truest role
Of what great character will you become
Born of discipline and of self restraint
Of what virtues shall form to be your sum
To live as one who has become a saint
The answers are yours but answer them soon
For of the end you cannot be immune

If everything were gone in a flash, what memory would you leave behind? Would they speak of you in terms of a job that you had or profession you held? Or would they speak of someone that stood for something? Would they speak of a person of character? Would they speak of someone that affected them?

Don’t worry too much if anyone will remember you or not. Be someone worth remembering. That is all you can expect to do. And chances are, they will probably remember you anyways.

Life is too precious to give anything less than who you are. Claim your authority in something. What is your craft? What is your gift?

Maybe it’s weaving words into stories.
Maybe it’s upholding the dignity of humanity.
Maybe it’s teaching and instructing others from the depths of your knowledge.
Maybe it’s managing and holding the details of life.
Maybe it’s being a friend to those around you.
Maybe it’s showing compassion to the man on the side of the street.
Maybe it’s sitting in silence with someone who hurts.

It doesn’t have to be one single thing. Most likely it will be a tapestry of many threads.

Life is too precious not to be someone noble. Develop your character. Choose to be someone. What values will you uphold?

Will you uphold justice – standing for those who have no voice?
Will you uphold purpose – striving to live with intent?
Will you uphold hope – offering it to those around you?
Will you uphold humility – seeing what is good in everyone?
Will you uphold fun – giving people something to laugh about?
Will you uphold order – managing the chaos for those who can’t?
Will you uphold honesty – being a voice of truth to yourself and others?

And when the lightning strikes – when you ponder everything you are – you walk with confidence. For you are true to you. Be someone.

***

A person is but people all around
The story of a thousand threads of gold
And though you may sing out of your own sound
The tune echoes the songs of others told
Some threads make their way in isolation
Through the tapestry that is your story
Other threads form patterns and formation
Making you to be someone of glory
For all these treasures may you celebrate
Give to them the honor they do deserve
Of what’s good in them may you demonstrate
So that their memory you may preserve
Blessings and blessings their lives are to you
For them may you live a life that is true

If everything were gone in flash, who are the people you would leave behind? Some may only grace your story for a little time – catching but a quick glance into the beauty and complexity of your heart. But some linger for a while. They allow your story to intertwine with theirs. And when you step back, you sometimes cannot tell which story belongs to whom.

There are those that come beside you in the middle of pain and darkness. As you stare into the void of emptiness, feeling as though the whole world woke up that morning and decided to frown upon you, they are there. And as the dragon whispers its lies, they stand with the truth.

There are those that push you as you stare in misery at the road ahead. As you question your vision and wonder if you should turn back and hide, they whisper encouragement. They tell you to press on. So you do. And everything works out fine – in some way or other.

There are those that share the laughter in a joke. No one else seems to get it. So you cast a glance at them. They look back with a gleam in their eye, and you burst into laughter. Someone else shares the magic. Who cares if no one else does?

There are those that you sit with in the stillness and joy of rest. Neither of you says a word. And yet, you say everything. The silence carries with it all that is good and wonderful in the world. You are at peace. So is your friend. Nothing more is necessary.

And when the lightning strikes – when you reflect on all the blessings these people are – you want nothing more than to honor them. Love fills your heart. Celebrate someone.

***

If everything could be gone in a flash, how will your life change? What will you see differently? Will you come alive?

Full of mystery
New and beautiful although
You’ve seen it before

Live in the wonder. This is not the first storm I’ve seen, and it likely won’t be the last. Yet each time it carries a certain magic. The beauty and power never ceases to amaze.

In the same way, such majesty exists all around. See it in the fires of a sunset. See it in the walk of a leopard. See it in the laughter of a child. Relish it.

Life’s many monsters
Seem most dreadful and scary
Until you see them

Illuminate your life. The flash may not last long, but it casts a new light. You see your worries for what they are.

When you seek out the root of the fear – when you keep asking why until you can ask no more – you often find it’s a question of whether you will die or not. And since the answer to that question is usually no, move forward.

Sleepwalking is not
The best of ways to live life
Might as well wake up

Do you sometimes run your life on autopilot? Do you live a certain way because that’s how you or everyone else has always lived? Let the thunder bring back perspective. Let it push you to live with intention.

I sleep through life sometimes. Go to work. Stay busy. Have lunch. Do more work. Come home. Repeat.

But then the thunder booms. Be it a trip, a book, a song, or a brush with death, it reminds me what is important. It fills me with gratitude for life.

And when the lightning strikes – when you see what is and isn’t – you act differently. You do what matters. Touch someone.

***

And when the lightning strikes – when all you are comes to an end – you look upon death without fear. You welcome him as an old friend.

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The storm rides in. I made this photo in Torit, Sudan.