“We can become so afraid of death that we never live.”

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus from his book, The Last Arrow: Save Nothing for the Next Life  (p. 18). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

That is so true for so many of us.

The whole thought is, “We can become so afraid of death that we never live, so afraid of failure that we never risk, so afraid of pain that we never discover how strong we really are.”

Erwin later says, “Sometimes we forget that people respond differently to trauma. At the same time, it is those moments when we are confronted with the uncertainty of life that allows us to see ourselves most clearly. Even as I write these words, I am a few hours away from learning the results of a recent biopsy. But I am convinced of this: you must not allow fear to steal your future, and every day that you walk this earth you must make sure you save nothing for the next life. You must never allow fear to keep you grounded. The moment you choose to play it safe, you’ve lost the game. Instead of running from your fears, lean into them, for on the other side of them is the future you long for. These moments form character and forge the future.”

This past Sunday in the front lawn of our church a flag was placed in remembrance for each person who died on that day, 9/11/2001 when those terrorists flew those planes into the two buildings in New York City and into the Pentagon in Washington D. C.  I remember where I was when I heard the news on that day. 

Erwin says, “If 9/11 taught me anything, it was to save nothing for the next life, to do what must be done, to say what must be said, to write the words that must be written, and to live the life that must be lived. Time seduces us into believing that it is the one friend who will never run out on us, but the cruel truth is that it always does. It would not be unfair to say that time lies to us. It tricks us into believing that we can wait until tomorrow to do the thing we should have done yesterday. And while I find an endless number of reasons why people leave things in this life undone, I find one unifying characteristic of those who leave nothing for the next life: a sense of urgency.”

So, what is holding you back from really living the life God gave you?