Worth Dying For?

Something worth dying for... People throw that phrase around a lot. I know I've used it before, and hear it on a regular basis... But I don't usually really take the time to think about exactly what it means.

I've heard it a few times recently, especially in relation to the earthquake in Haiti. In church this morning at Harvard Epworth United Methodist Church, the pastor talked about the devastation. Sam Dixon, an UMCOR leader in Haiti, died in the earthquake while doing mission work in the country. Another person who I know through connections with a close friend was also killed in Haiti while volunteering with an orphanage in Haiti.

Jobs worth dying for. People dying doing what they love to do. Usually those phrases are used in reference to high-risk work, where there's a huge chance that you'll die doing the work. In these cases, that wasn't really the situation. The earthquake hit while they were doing their fairly low-risk jobs. Yet... Most people would agree that these people were doing a job worth dying for.

We all have the possibility of losing our lives at any time. Earthquakes, tornadoes... People die every day due to natural disasters. Add in car accidents and other things of the like, and there's always a risk of dying. Kind of scary, really... But we all have the chance to do something worth dying for and to die doing something that we love.

But it calls for living intentionally. It calls for living according to God's plan. We can't just sit around being lazy all the time... It has to truly be something worth dying for! For some, that's working internationally at an orphanage... For others, that's working with children at home. The possibilities are endless, and are specific for each one of us.

When my time comes, I certainly hope that somebody can say "Cody died doing what he loved to do." I feel like I'm being called to do what I'm doing right now. I strive to enjoy what I'm doing and to do it for the right reasons. It's something that I'll continue to work on, I'm sure, to always follow God's will, and to be willing to give up my own life doing my life's work.

I'd like to post a link to the blog of Molly Hightower, the girl from Port Orchard who was killed in the collapse of a building in Haiti, where she was working at an orphanage. There's a lot of inspiration in her life and in her words and pictures through her blog. It's clear to me when I look at her blog that she was doing what she loved and loving what she did. http://mollyinhaiti.blogspot.com/

Remember to keep those affected by the earthquake in your prayers, as well as those who are going over to provide assistance.