Timed Urgency

I was talking with my friend Ryan the other day, and we were reflecting on some bad news. A friend we know has a mom who's been battling cancer. Things were looking up. Now she has 4 weeks to live. This news arrived just weeks after his wedding. Ryan and I discussed the situation for a little while, grappling with how we'd embrace that reality, were it in our family or us individually. Within a few moments, we subconsciously conceded our lack of real understanding of it and talked about something we could understand a bit more. But something struck me just before the topic change.

How would I live if given a definitive time of 4 weeks?? If I could know to the minute (and that moment weren't far off), how would I spend my time? I'd encourage you to share your answer to this in a comment below.

My reaction was curious, hence it being blog-worthy. My heart sank and leapt in the same moment. I was immediately saddened in thought by what short time I'd have to tell people about the Jesus I'd be with oh so soon. Strangers, I mean. Not to mention all the people in my cell phone I never call. What a passionate, no-holds-barred, no-situation-missed, apostle to proclaim the Good News!! Can you imagine what a month that'd be? Then I was so excited that I had more than 4 weeks!! (from what I can tell, at least) To have the opportunity to live so unabashedly devout and with purpose. I was immediately bombarded with doubt and thoughts of how unrealistic it is to live like that. I mean, I'm NOT dying, y'know? So what's the urgency?

So the battles rages. Wilberforce, Luther, Edwards, etc. persevered through such doubt. They wouldn't accept a non-change. Pray with me that we could have such perspective and endurance. Let us count it all loss, compared to the all-surpassing gift of Christ. May we lay down our lives in such fashion that people would assume we haven't much of it left to work with. And that we would not seek to save our lives, but truly lose them.

I beg you to please pray with me for Dan's family.