As I was listening to the lyrics of this Jerry Reed song this morning, I immediately thought of this quote: "I shall pass this way but once; any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being; let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again" (source).My good counselor friend, Susan, has taken the above quote to heart, by motivating a former student of Bowie High school to get his GED, after which he acquired an associate degree from our local community college (see article). Susan has dedicated fifty years of her life to being a counselor with our local school district. She recently told me she was retiring at the end of this school year. A great loss for our school district.
The closing lyrics of the above Jerry Reed song state:
"But when I view the day around me I can see the fool I've been. For today is the only garden we can tend. Today is mine, today is mine, to do with what I will. Today is mine. My own special cup to fill. To die a little that I might learn to live. And take from life that I might learn to give. Today is mine."
My lovely friend, Susan, realized at the beginning of her counseling career, that she had her own special cup to fill in helping others succeed in life, and learned that she had to "die [to self] a little, that I [she] might learn to live. And take from life that I [she] might learn to give." Susan has definitely achieved this plateau in her life and much more. It's been my privilege to have known this wonderful selfless and giving lady.
Beloved, denying self in order to help others in life, is not an easy thing to do (see here), but a necessary thing to do, for as the above quote emphasizes, we shall pass this way but once, therefore, any good that we can do or any kindness we can show to any human being, let us do it now. Let us not defer nor neglect it, for we shall not pass this way again (Hebrews 9:27).
—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets
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