Growing flower

what Justin reminded me...

March 25, 2005, 2am, 23-year old Justin Schwieg passed away due to a fatal stab wound. Although I don't know Justin personally, I went to his memorial service today. I don't know what drew me to the memorial service, perhaps it's a sense of sympathy I felt towards his family.

The family called the memorial service a "celebration of life", and many family and friends shared their fond memories of Justin. For someone who doesn't know him personally, one description of Justin that really stood out from all the speeches was his love for the people around him. His mom stated that "he wore his heart on his sleeves", his friends talked about how much Justin cared for them as a friend, and how Justin would go out of his way for his friends. He was always there to support and care for others. I couldn't help but to be moved by these descriptions of Justin, and I wish I had a chance to meet him before he passed away.

As I sat in front of the lake reflecting on my experience today, I was reminded that a life well-lived boils down to one word--LOVE. Life is not about the achievements that one accomplishes, but about the people that one touches. We cannot take our achievements with us when we die, but the love that we touch others with, and the impact that we make in other's lives stay. It's so easy to be driven by achievements in life, and to miss out the precious relationships around us. As human beings, we are all interdependent on one another, and it's because of the relationships we have in life that keep us going each day.

I am glad that as a Christian, I can follow Jesus' example to love the people around me, and to treasure everything I have in life. School is not everything, and if it means that I will get 5% lower on a test because I talked to a friend the night before, it's worth it. The key is to keep this perspective all the time.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13:13

posted by Growing Flower @ 3/31/2005 12:30:00 a.m.