Living for the Second Time

It’s Friday! Happy Friday!

“This is the day the Lord has made; let’s rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).

I thought I’d post a blog every Sunday evening, but then I realized—I can share my thoughts whenever I want to. Who said it had to be daily, weekly, or monthly? No one. I’ve never read that anywhere. Yet somehow we start squeezing ourselves into molds and boxes sooner rather than later, and we stay there until we have a moment of clarity.

Seasons, Cycles, Patterns and Habits of life

I just read a quote by world-renowned author and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl. His books are powerful, insightful, and timeless. He said, “Live as if you were living for the second time.” My chest said, “Whew!” You know those moments—maybe you look up and say, “Lord, You talking to me?” I do that too. Maybe your inner self leaps with excitement at a fresh revelation, a God-breathed clarity.

Living “as if you were living for the second time” means—at least to me—cherishing the lessons learned from the highs, lows, wins, and losses, and applying them with a fresh perspective to every new day.

In that moment, I was reminded that my life is a gift from Almighty God. I thought about how easy it is to treat life like a vending machine—gimme, gimme, do, do—and then feel rejected, depressed, fearful, angry, or anxious when things don’t go our way. But what if, instead, we chose thanksgiving, joy, and purpose? Instead of expecting life to give to me (when I already have the gift), I can find ways to give out of my life—toward purpose, toward others, toward service.

So next time you catch yourself scrolling and comparing, scrolling and feeling negative, scrolling and getting angry, scrolling until time slips away or complaining about the weather, your situation, or some other issue—remember to live as if it’s your last day.

Clarity Check:

Where in your life today can you shift from expecting to receiving, from scrolling to savoring quality time, from taking to giving, from complaining to rejoicing?