This morning, I twittered, “Sing today as if it’s your last opportunity this side of heaven.” Of course, it was in the context of Sunday morning church worship services. But really, it applies to so many other valuable things in life, especially those pertaining to our outward displays of affection toward God…and toward other people.

Very often we relegate our emotional responses toward relationships to controlled, cerebral thought patterns, shared with few, if anyone at all. We tend to internalize feelings, making excuses for why they should not or can not be communicated outwardly, much less overtly. Insecurity. Shame. Fear. Or simply ignorance. Yet the practice of making excuses has many faults, the least of which is that it most often comes from a sense of false humility, which, oddly enough, is an offensive form of pride. Granted, there are plenty of cases where one might cite that they were never instructed to be verbose in emotions, or that it was not the standard of the day. My father’s generation, for example, rarely–if ever–heard, “I love you, son,” from their World War II era parents. While these excuses certainly have merit, for the Christian they must be reconciled with the fact that Jesus was extremely verbose in his lifestyle of love. And in His ultimate display if the emotion: death in exchange for life. Thus why it’s referred to as The Passion.

This side of heaven, you may not have another chance to tell your spouse how much you really love them. You may not have another night to tuck in your children and tell them they are the greatest. You may not have a chance to anonymously put some cash in someone’s pocket, hug a friend just because you can, or–like today–go up to a total stranger in McDonald’s and encourage them about how great a dad they are. Because today might be your last time this side of heaven to do anything. So what will you do? ch:

Photos by Jennifer Hopper | www.jenniferhopperphoto.com