Twenty-three years ago, I lost my dad to cancer. He was 54 years old. I’ve been thinking a lot about Daddy lately. I remember when he had his first chemo treatment after he was diagnosed. Everyone else was gone, and he and I had a great visit.
We sat on his hospital bed, and he told me what was important to him. He said that the most important thing in his life was his relationship with Jesus Christ. With tears, he expressed his amazement at God’s love. Daddy wasn’t afraid of death because of the assurance he had of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Remembering his words and reflecting on them this week has helped me remember to put things in perspective. If I knew that I only had a short time to live (which is a possibility, not just for me, but for everyone), what would my priorities be? I think that Daddy had it right.
In the end, you can’t take anything in this life with you. I want to focus on what lasts. His love is what lasts and it is His love that I can share with others. What is important to you? If you only had a short time to live, would it change your priorities?
Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. James 4:14 (NASB)