Day 1: Introduction

Living the Dash

"Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives."
--ALAN SACHS

"I am convinced that it is not the fear of death, of our lives ending, that haunts our sleep so much as the fear...that as far as the world is concerned, we might as well never have lived."
--HAROLD KUSHNER

Your time on earth is limited. No matter how much this idea makes you squirm, it's a fact. No matter who you are, how young or old, what measure of success you've attained, or where you live, mortality remains the great equalizer. With each tick of the clock, a moment of your life is behind you. Even as you read this paragraph, seconds passed that you can never regain. Your days are numbered, and each one that passes is gone forever.

If you're like me, you may be tempted to view this reality as harsh and unwelcome, to let it overwhelm and even paralyze you. But that's not my purpose in writing this book--just the opposite. Rather than inhibiting us to play it safe, I'm convinced that embracing our time on earth as a limited resource has incredible power to liberate us. For most of us, if we knew we only had one month to live, we would live differently. We would be more authentic about who we are and more deliberate about how we spent our time. But such a contrast begs the question: what keeps us from living this way now?

My motivation to find the answer--and better yet, to live it and help you live it--is born in part from my experience in ministry. In this role I've been privileged to spend time with many people as they face the imminent end of their lives on earth. While all of them struggle through the stages of grief--shock, denial, bargaining, guilt, anger, depression, acceptance--most of them make radical changes as a result of their awareness of their terminal conditions. They take license to say what they really feel and do what they really want. They ask for forgiveness and forgive others. They no longer think only of themselves but reach out to those they love and let them know how much they mean. They take risks they would never have taken before and allow themselves to lay worry aside and gratefully accept each new day. They seem to gain a new clarity on their priorities, like their relationship with God and leaving legacies that will endure.

Over the years of watching others live out their last days, I began to ask myself,
Why can't all of us live more like we're dying? Isn't that how we were meant to live in the first place? To discover what we're made for and to utilize our unique gifts in the limited amount of time we're given?
So last year at a staff retreat I tried a little experiment and asked our team members this question: "If you knew you had one month to live, how would you live differently?" I gave everyone a journal and challenged them to live the next thirty days as if they were their last and to write down what happened.

The results were nothing less than life changing! At the end of the thirty days, we all had a greater clarity of purpose and a renewed passion for the things that really matter. Many people did big, once-in-a-lifetime things, like going on a dream vacation to Hawaii with their spouse, finally getting serious about a healthy lifestyle and losing twenty-five pounds, or reconciling a relationship with a parent that had been neglected for years.

For me, the little, daily things took on a whole new meaning and forever changed my life. Taking my youngest two children to school every day became a real joy. I became keenly aware of what a sacred moment it is every morning to play twenty questions with...

 

"So many of us waste our lives with 'when and then' thinking, believing that 'when' this or that happens, 'then' we will really start living and do something for God that really matters. That approach is guaranteed to leave you with regrets. At the end of your life, the only thing that will matter is whether you accomplished God's purpose for your life. Jesus was just 12 when he said, 'I must be about My Father's business.' Barely 20 years later, he could say to the Father, 'I have completed the work you gave me to do.' If we all had that kind of focus and concentration in our lives, there's no telling what God could accomplish in the world! Kerry and Chris Shook want you to grasp that amazing insight: Embracing your mortality sets you free to live a meaningful and significant life without regret. One Month to Live is a great way to discover the purposeful, joyful, abundant life God created you to enjoy!"

 

"Kerry and Chris Shook are world-class leaders whose lives and ministry have impacted untold numbers of people, including me. Regardless of where you are on your spiritual journey, One Month to Live will challenge you to passionately live the life you were made for and leave an eternal legacy."

 

"Kerry Shook is a friend, devoted father, supportive husband, and inspiring pastor. As one of today's most gifted communicators, Kerry's unique and creative style enables him to take the most complex issues and make them practical and relevant to daily living. He has a genuine love for people that is contagious. His ministry is changing the lives of individuals and families here in Houston and transforming communities all across the nation."

 

"If you want new urgency, fresh purpose, and a sharper focus for your life, then this book is for you. Read it and your future may be changed forever!"

 

One Month to Live by Kerry Shook
Continue Browsing		View Wish List