Last night we got the phone call at the house that everyone dreads. It was around 12:45am and it was a family member calling to tell us that Richard's (Jodi's dad) sister had suffered a heart attack and died. The news was incredibly shocking and incredibly surprising. Richard had just seen Molly a few days ago and she had just had a good check-up at the Dr's office.
Last night, as Jodi and I laid in bed discussing how sudden her departure was, and how unexpected it had been, I was reminded of a text (that had been pointed out to me just a few hours earlier in the day).
Psalm 90:1-12
Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. You turn men back to dust saying, "Return to dust, O sons of men." For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by or like a watch in the night. You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning-- though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered. We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. The length of our days is seventy years-- or eighty if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you. Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Last night Jodi shared that she doesn't want to take for granted the fact that she had time to say good-bye to her mother. Molly's children weren't granted that privilege.
And yet, if they had been told that their mother was going to meet Jesus last night at 11:45pm, I'm sure that their priorities might have shifted just a little bit. Perhaps they would have spent some more time with her, perhaps they would have wanted to be there with her, ushering her into the gates of Glory.
But they weren't told... and neither are we.
If you went to the doctor today and were told that you had one week to live, how would your priorities change? What would you clear from your schedule? What are the big, important things that you would fill your time with? Even as you are reading this, your mind has probably published a list of items that you would place aside as less important.
But we aren't told how much longer we have... but God knows, and he has told us that we have but one life to live. We will only experience being a teenager once. We will only be pregnant once (OK, perhaps more than once, but at least only for a period of time ;o)). We will only experience our children as babies and toddlers once. Only once will we move our kids into their college dorm room, or turn 30, or have our 23rd wedding anniversary. Once that time is past, it is gone and cannot redeem it, or make it happen again. If we knew that we were going to enter Heaven tonight in our sleep, then we would probably handle the events of our day a bit differently.
Only God knows the number of your days, and He alone has numbered them. Therefore, let's pray along with the Psalmist, "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
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