A Car Park Thought
Last week there was a tragic shooting in Toronto. A young man was killed in the food court of a major shopping centre, innocent bystanders were critically injured and hundreds of people who witnessed the incident have been emotionally scarred. The disconcerted feeling in our city is palpable. Surrounded by this air of uncertainty I stood for a moment, just thinking, in a car park.  


Unusual place to think, but then we always choose unusual places to have a profound moment. I know friends who do some of their best thinking in the shower, in front of the kitchen sink or even, dare I say it, whilst upon the porcelain throne. In general I'm not a car park thinker but this car park is very thought provoking. I've walked through it, past it, driven into it and even stood talking in it before and have never had this thought until today. 


"You don't know how long your life will be, so you'd better make the most of it."


I had just dropped my daughter at preschool. Across the car park I saw a group of people all dressed in black entering a building. You see my daughters preschool shares a car park with a Funeral Parlour. And there it was this poignant picture of life playing out right in front of me. Through a window I could see a bunch of two year olds discovering new words, new colours and sticky things. And across the other side of the car park were people preparing to say goodbye to a loved one who's journey of discovery was finished. I don't know if they were young or old, it didn't matter. What mattered was the thought that the space between these two building's represented every opportunity, every moment to do good, unspecified time to be present discovering, growing and loving.  No one knows how long their walk from preschool to funeral will be. For that reason I need to make the most of each day. 


So today I choose to do good. I choose to pray for the families who are struggling with the tragedy in our city, and I choose not to live in fear. I choose not to worry and I choose to enjoy my walk, how ever long it may be. I choose faith, to be secure in the knowledge that my journey of discovery will not simply end with my death but will be only just beginning on the other side of this mortal coil.