For 'Dor'

       There have been several notable times in my life when I have felt that I was  'not far from the kingdom of God.’ There was the time I was stopped at a traffic light when an out of control tanker truck came careening at me, stopping a mere 5 feet front my van - nose to nose. Then there was a more recent time when I was told from a routine exam that I had a blossoming ascending aortic aneurysm. It was large enough to trigger making a surgical date and arranging my affairs but just shy of the need to call an ambulance right then and there. Sobering moments.

       Yesterday a friend passed after a strong and heroic battle with pancreatic cancer. I am sure she knew where this was all taking her. I could see her FaceBook postings even as our conversations were less frequent in her battles. She knew she was not far from the kingdom of God and I know she is there now in the arms of our Lord along with her beloved animal friends who had previously passed. She is at joy, peace and without pain. If Heaven has any earthly tone, she is sipping a cool drink while sunning herself on a Heavenly beach. 

        As I get older, the time of life seems all that more precious. It is all about my having come out later in life and realizing the second chance in that. It is about finding the love of a man that fulfills all your dreams come true. It is about coming through multiple surgeries for 'replacement parts' as well as cardiac scares, that pesky aneurysm and more. I have quite personally come know just how fragile and precious life is not just because of my own life but also because my dear friend has vanished so quickly before my eyes.

         All this is supposed to be sobering thoughts to remind me and us of just how close we really are to the kingdom of God. There are no guarantees and our earthly judgments of what is fair or just do not apply.  We can be taken up in an instant as can any one of our loved ones.  Are we remotely ready for the transition? Maybe we do not need to prepare with the zeal of a ledger bearing vengeful God. I do believe we are called to use whatever time we have been graced with to our best advantage. We are to use our precious moments to be the most and best that God created us to be. We are to use every opportunity we have been graced with to love and witness to the love of our Creator. In so doing we are 'not far from the kingdom of God.’

          Love always with great joy and a zest for the life you have been graced with.

Mark 12:28-34

 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, ‘Which commandment is the first of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The first is, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’ Then the scribe said to him, ‘You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that “he is one, and besides him there is no other”; and “to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength”, and “to love one’s neighbour as oneself”,—this is much more important than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.’ When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ After that no one dared to ask him any question.