Do-Over

After school today, our last one before Christmas vacation, I watched a silly movie that makes me cry every time - Jack Frost.  It's bad theology and it just plain doesn't make sense yet it touches me like few movies do.  Weird, I know.

Jack is a musician that puts his career first many times, before his wife and son, Charlie.  The time he decides to change his mind and not be gone for Christmas, he is killed in an accident during bad weather trying to get to their cabin.  So sad.

It whips you instantly to a year later.  Charlie's still grieving and lost.  He builds a snowman, like his father did with him that last winter, and then he finally got around to playing the harmonica his dad had given him.  His dad told him it was magic.  He would hear it from wherever he was and would come back to Charlie.  When Jack came back, though, he was a snowman, of course.

This snowman, I mean, Father, got a Christmas do-over, or a life do-over.  In truth, none of us get this.  When our time on earth is done, it's done.  Intentional living should be our mindset for 2011.  We really should live each day like it's our last because we just never know.  It could be.

The movie also got me thinking about do-over's.  There is so much in life that I would love to do over again.  My fear, though, is I would make the very same mistakes.  The do-over would be a bust and total waste of time.  How frustrating a thought is that?  ugh.

A comforting thought is that each morning we wake up with a clean slate.  God forgives us each and every time we ask and He gives us another day to make things right.  We're here to rock our little part of the world. Hug more.  Express our love in a good old fashioned phrase, I LOVE YOU.  Pass out compliments when they are deserved.  Share our faith by the choices we make and by what comes out of our mouths.  Live life BIG.  We've only got one life to live.  I want to live my life to the fullest and experience God's mercies every single day.

Just like a fresh snowfall in the night, no discoloring, no footprints - I want a fresh slate - no past mistakes to haunt me or make me freeze up in fear.  This isn't a 2011 resolution - living intentionally.  It's a right now one. Living life big will not be error-free.  It will be full of glaring mistakes and embarrassments.  I'm so glad I have a God who forgives and friends and family who will do the same.