We just have to recognize life for what it is: a gift to be grateful for, not a property to cling to, hoard, or defend.
Interpretation
Life is a precious gift that should be appreciated, not something to be possessively held onto.
This quote by Henri Nouwen suggests that life is meant to be a cherished gift, urging us to cultivate gratitude for our experiences rather than treating life as an object to be owned or controlled. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing the transient nature of life and encourages a mindset of appreciation over possessiveness, inviting us to embrace the present moment and the beauty it brings.
In practice
During a motivational speech about valuing experiences over possessions.
The Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self. God loves us, not because of what we do or accomplish, but because God has created and redeemed us in love.
The immense joy in welcoming back the lost son hides in the immense sorrow that has gone before....our brokenness may appear beautiful, but our brokenness has no other beauty but the beauty that comes from the compassion that surrounds it.
Suffering invites us to place our hurts in larger hands. In Christ we see God suffering β for us. And calling us to share in Godβs suffering love for a hurting world. The small and even overpowering pains of our lives are intimately connected with the greater pains of Christ. Our daily sorrows are anchored in a greater sorrow and therefore a larger hope.
To listen is very hard, because it asks of us so much interior stability that we no longer need to prove ourselves by speeches, arguments, statements or declarations. True listeners no longer have an inner need to make their presence known. They are free to receive, welcome, to accept.
Waiting is a dry desert between where we are and where we want to be. (Finding My Way Home)
Becoming the beloved is pulling the truth revealed to me from above down into the ordinariness of what I am, in fact, thinking of, talking about and doing from hour to hour.
The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.
I would die if I had to be confined. I don't want to feel that I'm missing out on experiencing as much as I can. For me, experiencing is knowing people all over the world and being able to photograph.
When a man comes to die,_x000D_ no matter what his talents and influences and genius,_x000D_ if he dies unloved his life must be a failure to him_x000D_ and his dying a cold horror.
I acquired more wealth, power, and prestige than most. But you can acquire all you want and still feel empty. What power wouldn't I trade for a little more time with my family? What price wouldn't I pay for an evening with friends? It took a deadly illness to put me eye to eye with that truth, but it is a truth that the country, caught up in its ruthless ambitions and moral decay, can learn on my dime.
I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die.
Life's too short to hang out with people who aren't resourceful.
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