Jeff Tomson is pastor at Living Faith Church of the Brethren. On Dec. 11 my wife had a brain tumor removed. To say the least the Christmas season was different for us this year. I want to relate to you something that was made very clear to me during this time at the hospital and through the trials that a friend of mine is having right now.

In the midst of an event that was life threatening we had to ask ourselves what is life. Is it simply not being dead, or is there more to it?

The night before the surgery we could have sat around and cried about the way things were going, but instead we went to our son's final basketball game; we went to a prayer meeting; and we had ice cream. Our three children were aware that mom was going to have surgery but they did not seem terrified by it. Most people that we met seemed more upset than we were about the whole thing.

I think back to my past and the self-loathing that shaped my teens and early twenties. There was a time when I would have received bad news and been lost in all of the worst-case scenarios. It would not have mattered if it were health, personal matters, or even job concerns; I would have been totally overwhelmed. So what is different now?

Jesus said "….I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:10 (NRSV)

I think that there is a difference between not being dead, having life, and having life abundantly. Living has to do with having something to live for, but the abundance comes when we understand that no matter what happens we are good with God and it is alright. Knowing that releases us to all kinds of possibilities in this world and the assurance of salvation frees us to live in the moment instead of the dread of the worst case. Living life abundantly is about living life to the fullest, in spite of age, health, or even death.

That is what Jesus was talking about, living life without fear and constraint of this world. If you are not living life in abundance then I have to ask, are you living it with Christ?