Measure in love.

I've had this song stuck in my head tonight.  It's probably one of my all-time favorite songs, one of those songs that you keep going back to, even after you have a long period when you don't listen to it.  I just love it.  It amazes me how such a simple song can say so much.



Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife
In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure a year in the life?

How about love? (3x)
Measure in love
Seasons of love (2x)

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand journeys to plan
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure the life of a woman or a man?

In truths that she learned?
Or in times that he cried? 
In bridges he burned?
Or the way that she died?

It's time now to sing out
Though the story never ends
Let's celebrate
Remember a year in the life of friends

Remember the love
(Oh, you got to, you got to remember the love)
Remember the love
(You know that life is a gift from up above)
Remember the love
(Share love, give love, spread love)
Measure in love
(Measure, measure your life in love)

Seasons of love (2x)
(Measure, measure your life in love)

It makes me think about how I measure my days, my years, my life.

I don't want to be so busy counting down to a doctor's appointment that I need, to a reunion with some of my best friends that I want so desperately, to summer vacation or graduation that I forget to focus on right now.

I don't want my years to be measured by tears or pain or sadness.  I want them to be measured by the things that make me laugh, even the unlikely things like Dr. Steegar picking on me in Phonetics.

When I am at the end of my life, I'm not going to remember the late nights I stayed up studying for class, or the tears that I cried from hurts of all kinds.  I won't remember all the people who hurt me or the times I did the hurting.  I won't remember the stress or the fear or the what ifs.

I will remember the love.

I'll remember the love of my God who loved me unconditionally and passionately even when I denied His existence.

I'll remember the love of my mom who taught me about perseverance and independence.

I'll remember the love of the friends who stuck by me when I didn't deserve it.

And not only that, I want to be remembered for my love.  When I am gone, I want people to say they remember the love that I gave.  I want them to see Christ's love for them in me.  I want people who know me to know that no matter what kind of person they were or what story they had, they had a safe spot and a friend in me.

That's the kind of life I want to live.  That's the kind of life I want to live because that's the kind of life Jesus lived.  I want to be a conduit for Him to show His love to the people around me.  I can't imagine a more fulfilling life while in this broken world.

A year is so much more than 525,600 minutes.  It's countless opportunities to share the Gospel and show people the love that we have found with God.  Our experiences are a part of our lives, yes, but tears and burned bridges or hard lessons learned do not define who we are or the kind of life that we have.

At least for me, love does.  I measure my years in love.

And considering I have the endless, boundless, fiery, never-changing, never-failing love of God, I'd say I'm pretty golden.

How do you measure your life?