In the movie ‘Tombstone’, there is a scene near the end where Doc Holiday is on his death bed and Wyatt Earp has come to visit him. There is an exchange that goes something like this. Wyatt asks Holiday what he wants out of life. Holiday in return asks Wyatt the same. Wyatt’s answer was ‘to live a normal life’. I love Holiday’s response; “There is no normal life; there is just life.”
It is easy in life, to focus on what we think life ought to be like. By doing so, we can miss life. I have become convinced that at any time in our life, there is usually a mix of good and bad. We struggle over one thing while rejoicing over another. At best we can hope and pray that there is more of the latter than the former, but the bottom line is . . . it is all life.
I thought when I read this story in Acts 12 of how Peter was miraculously rescued from prison, how much that is our focus. That is what we have heard sermons on. I’ve never heard a sermon on what happened to James. James was put to death with a sword. Why did God rescue Peter but not James?
Does it help us to read of Peter and hope that God will rescue us? In the end, He either does or He doesn’t. Who in their right mind wouldn’t hope that He would, but if our ‘life’ is dependent on it, we are focusing on what we think life ought to be like – on what we think is normal. But . . . there is no normal; there is just life.
After Holiday told Wyatt ‘there is just life’, he added ‘so just get on with it’. We cannot predict. It does no good to speculate. We can just live. And we can be sure that if God lets us live, He will take care of us. Beyond that . . . ?
Hunger and Thirst 
I have been waiting for this. It is something that He is talking to me about, so I want to listen. I have to listen! Thank you so much. This also came to mind about when I focus on what I think life ought to be . . .that then I’m not focusing on Him. God bless you and yours, Mike . . .and keep you in His care. deb
I find the Lord likes to layer things He is trying to get us to see. There have been a lot of layers lately about this. I’m writing about another one now. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God’. I’m afraid Paul knew what he was talking about.
But Mike! I want my life to be a certain way! I want to be in control! But of course you are right…all we can do is keep looking to the Lord and follow Paul’s motto – to live is Christ and to die is gain. Either way we seek to honor Christ no matter what comes….
I’m with you there (wanting life to be a certain way) but so far it seems to have a mind of its own.
By the way Brian, I’ve lost your url. There’s a certain way to set yourself up so that when you comment, your name will be green and be a link to your site. Now it is black and I can’t get to your site by it.
How strange. Let me try again.
Doc Holiday and the Bible whoa!!!!
A very excellent post ,you are so right.
Who knows maybe we will be like those 18 people at the
Tower of Siloam (Luke 13), maybe not !? 🙂
thanks
Hi wherearetheheros,
I like your name and I’ve wondered the same.
I guess that was a bit of a stretch – Holiday and the Bible; but there was a definite spiritual slant to the dialogue. Couldn’t resist when I heard the line.
Thanks for stopping by,
Mike
Okay…I made a change in my settings – let’s see if it works…
Yea. My name now links – sorry about making such a mess of your comments. 🙂
Cool! Brace yourself for a high volume of traffic. 🙂
I prefer the line that Holiday utters:
“Apparently my hypocrisy knows no bounds.”
That would be the line that speaks more to who many of us really are. Especially me.
Just a passing comment…
Donald in Bethel, CT