We've all lost someone close to us who's made a tremendous difference to our lives. Someone who has helped shape who we are. I call them "Angels in the sky,” and I picture them sitting on a cloud, the most beautiful versions of themselves, free from sickness or circumstance and with the most beautiful smiles. I picture them happy and at peace.

But where does that leave those of us still here? It means, we still have work to do.

I’m not one to talk about death, or anything sadness really. I like bunnies and coffee, singing really off-key, and I like to surround myself with smiles and laughter. But I also love Jesus, and I love the people He loves, and inevitably sometimes those people leave us.

Everyone always says that life’s too short, and it is, but we have to make the most of it. We have to do it for Jesus, for the ones no longer with us, for the ones still here, and for ourselves. This article is a gentle reminder to cherish your life, cherish the lives of others, and to make an impact on the world.

“Every day we face the same truth that life is fleeting that our time here is short and to honor the fallen we must live our own lives well.”

The above quote is from one of my favorite TV shows, "One Tree Hill", and it was said by the coach of the high school basketball team when their young friend and star shooter, Quentin, was innocently killed in a robbery.

For anyone that’s watched the show, you know how devastating that episode was, and if you are anything like me, your heart was breaking right along with the characters, almost as if the tragedy was real. You saw the impact this young man had on his community by the way he cared about others and the passion he had for basketball.

There’s a person in my life, similar to Quentin, who I lost this past week, and it’s had me sitting here speechless and bewildered.

Last Monday, a young person embarked on his journey to heaven, and in my opinion, a little too soon. He wasn’t here very long, but his presence had a strong impact on everyone he knew.

One day, a hundred years from now, most of the people reading this article will have made a similar journey as the young person I knew. Do not take for granted the fact that life is precious, and please keep in mind that having a meaningful life means more than getting accepted to college or buying a really nice car. It’s about your heart, and your contribution to society.

There’s this misconception, I think, that in order to have a fulfilling life or to be remembered, that you have to write a book or a song, or be an astronaut or cure cancer and that’s just not true. While we still need melodies and literature and discovery and cures, we also need smiles and kindness and simple things. The world may have made some people music specialists or science specialists, but he also makes heart specialists and kindness specialists.

Everyone was given an equally unique and special gift to contribute to the world. Use your time here wisely, and remember, that while the gift of others might be to lead a country, yours might be to lead a congregation and the world needs both.