Unique Speed Dating Events and Personal Growth Classes for Singles in Denver & Beyond

"Celebrating 10 years of transitioning singles to couples."

Phone: (303) 750-2208   E-mail: melody@singlesworkshops.com

This is an article that was written by my father, a retired United Methodist minister. Regardless of what faith you practice, I think you will find this a very thought-provoking message.

by Rev. Dale Ellenberger

        We are a people who live in boxes.  Homes are collections of boxes called rooms.  We go to work in boxes called cars.  We work in businesses that are boxes, some ride in boxes called elevators up to a cubicle (box) where we spend our days of toil.  We put up calendars that have a set of boxes for each day of the year.  We will fill them up with events to remember: birthdays, anniversaries, and even a funeral or two.

        Try as we might, we can only live in one box at a time.  Some of us try to plan for future boxes, but we can only hope it turns out as we planned.  If we try to plan the results, we play God and are often disappointed.

        These walls of time organize our time and too few of them are empty for unscheduled joy.  We need more of those.  Americans are over scheduled and hard working to the point of sickness and stress-related illnesses.  Each square has an invisible door that leads to the next square.  Sometime after we go to bed, that door opens and we wake up in the next square.  And we find that all the undone things have followed us.  My squares must have had huge doors!

        There's other baggage as well--unreleased resentments left over from squares gone by.  Why do we keep pulling that garbage along with us?  The object of our resentments are usually unaware of our anger and go merrily on their way.  We can't go back and change them, and sometimes we carry them along even when others have apologized.

        Of course there are good memories we want to take along with us to the next square.  We have frozen moments called pictures boxed in frames that we keep to remind us of happier times.

        Insurance actuarial tables can give me an estimate of how many squares I have left.  What difference will it make in this day, the only day we can live in, how we fill up those days?  One thing is sure, we don't have any to waste.

        One day there will come a square that has no door.  There will be no mysterious opening, and no walking into an adjoining square.  All those important things I've been putting off doing will disappear.  This square will be terminal.  The walls of time will become my coffin.  What will happen to me then?  We ought to face this possibility with utter honesty for this is no time for make-believe.  All those important things will be important no more!  All that we have lived for will be finished whether we are ready or not.  I may have strutted my pretty face through each day only to be spewed into this dark room with no exit!  Have I pretended in all those squares to be somebody special?

        What you believe about that last square may be more important than you realize.  Sure it’s uncomfortable to think about, but that day can't be denied.  Well yes it can…but you would be living in a fantasy which too many people live in now.  Only the brave dare go there--the uncompromising realist.

        I know what my beliefs are, but I won't bore you with them, especially if you are not ready to look at that last square.  Someday we all run out of calendars.  Are you ready?

Matthew 6:34 – Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:20 – Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

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Copyright © 1998 Melody Ellenberger
Last modified: 08/12/08 / Site created:  1/06/02