Living from Your Deathbed

"The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.”- Job 1:21b

     The past two weeks have been interesting for me. The Lord gave a wonderful vacation and a time of great relaxation. It was amazing to see the beauty and diversity of God's creation. Unfortunately, part of the diversity of nature includes parasites and I was able to "enjoy" that part for several days after my vacation. Laying in the hospital staring at the ceiling, I had a lot of time to think and reflect. I had a long struggle to keep the right attitude and not become angry. I had moments when I truly questioned if this would be how I died and if so, what had I accomplished all these years? While I have never experienced anything close to the tragedy of Job, this verse kept coming to mind over and over. How can I complain about poor health when any health I have comes from the Lord? Poor health is still better than no health. How easy it was for me to be angry and upset with my condition, but how easily the week before had I looked over God's amazing blessings. It's rare that I stop and thank God for the simple, daily things we all take for granted. My perspective is so far off. Job was able to say, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." Job 13:15a 

I must remember that everything I have is a gift from the Lord and is His to do with as He pleases.

     I was also challenged by my time in the hospital to start living my life like I'm on my deathbed. I challenge anyone reading this to do the same. If you knew that you would die today, what would you regret not doing? What would you change? Then go out and change it! I asked my students this question yesterday. Surprisingly, over half of my high school students stated that they would regret not being nicer to their parents or not spending more time with their family. I challenged them to start doing those things now. Why is it that we don't see these things from day to day? Why do we never ask ourselves what it is we will regret? How many people would I regret not telling about Jesus? How many lives could I have touched if I had taken the time? How many things that I put off until tomorrow will never happen at all? Start living from your deathbed. If you're not living the way you'd live your final hours, you're not living correctly. These may be your final hours.

And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. - Romans 13:11-12