The Tribune

By Rev Angela C Bosfield Palacious

HOW would you complete the following statement? Before I die, I would like to…

There are so many different answers that we could have. There are charities that seek to make the wishes of children with terminal illnesses come true. It is amazing the things that appeal to different people.

There are persons who live and die with many regrets because they did not take a chance to pursue a goal or a dream, to allow love to become a forever experience, or follow the path that God had called them to walk. They did not pray for wisdom, they did not listen to godly counsel, or they did not allow God’s will to be their highest priority.

What about those persons who follow their hearts and have so much to show for it? Where would we be if someone were not willing to go against the flow, or march to the beat of a different drum?

The exhibition in the airport in Atlanta, Georgia, depicts the life and death of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Sometimes the length of life is short but the accomplishments are long-term especially when documented in the pages of world history.

Make peace with as many people as possible so that your life will be a blessing to those privileged to rub shoulders with you. Use your gifts and talents to be as creative as you can be so that we are moved to higher heights of inspiration and motivation.

Think about the legacy you hope to leave behind.

Before you die, where would you wish to have travelled: Alaska, Africa, Asia, Australia, India, China, Europe, or North and South America?

We have lovely islands in the Caribbean, and of course, we have our own wonderful Family Islands to explore. Do you have the desire to see something of God’s varied creation, and is there any likelihood that you can visit some other places before your travelling days are over?

Are there books, poems, plays, hymns, or prayers buried within you just waiting to be brought into the light? Are their speeches, testimonies or quiet reflections that need to be shared with a few or the many?

Before you die, is there someone that you can help financially, assist with tutoring, or encourage as a mentor? The gift of time is a precious commodity. Who knows where we could be as a nation if we invested in others more intentionally.

Unless the Lord comes soon, we will all die. Our picture will be in the obituary section and we will exit the stage of life with a mere whisper or possibly great fanfare. Our funeral may be the talk of the town or some short ceremony attended by a handful of people.

The sun will continue to shine and life will go on as it did before. The people closest to us may be deeply affected and their lives may never again be the same. Why not decide to live as full a life as you can, leaving behind sweet memories to linger in their minds like a gentle fragrance?