Compared to eternity, your life is a blip on the screen of
time. ~ Psalm 90: 5-6
Couldn’t God have seen fit to give
him a break today? All Andrew wanted was
to have the old park bench near the playground . . . his sanctuary . . . all to
himself.
But an unfamiliar man occupied the weathered seat beneath
the towering maple tree: the bench where he and his wife had talked of changing
the world; the bench where they watched their children master the monkey
bars. On this very spot he’d learned of
her cancer. If only he could have one
more day with her!
He slid onto the end of the wooden slats. Maybe the guy would leave if he opened his
Bible. The stranger glanced over and
then turned to watch a young girl on a turquoise bicycle. Ducks raced along the luminous river in
front of them, snapping up chunks of bread the youth tossed.
“Beautiful day isn’t it?” the man said trying to make
conversation with Andrew.
“That’s my daughter!”
Getting no response, he glanced at his watch, then called to
her. “What’s say we head home, Kourtney?”
Kourtney pleaded, “Just five more minutes, Daddy. Pleeeease?
The man nodded and Kourtney continued riding her bicycle as
if were her job. Minutes passed before
her father stood and called again. “Time
to go now?”
Again Kourtney begged, “Five more minutes, Daddy. Just five more minutes?”
“OK,” he chuckled to himself.
“You certainly are patient,” Andrew suggested looking up
into eyes as soft and damp as green moss.
The man smiled modestly before responding. “Her older brother Mason was killed by a drunk
driver last year while riding his bicycle near here. I never spent enough time with him and now I’d
give anything for just five more minutes. I won’t make that mistake with Kourtney. She thinks she has five more minutes to ride
her bicycle. Truth is . . . I get five
more minutes to watch her play.”
Life’s about priorities.
If you only had one more day or five more minutes . . . what would you
do?
I’d make time for
some longer and deeper conversations with people I love. There’s some things I’d want to make sure
didn’t go unsaid before departing this life.
Don’t miss the chance to sit down with your children and tell them how proud
you are of them. Don’t fumble the
opportunity to spend time enjoying your aging parents. Don’t forget to thank a friend for helping shape
your character.
Stop chasing after
all the stuff that doesn’t matter. Don’t
let good intentions turn to painful regrets.
The clock’s ticking. You don’t
get a second shot at today. It’s later than it’s ever been!
Holy Father, help me to live as if I had
only one more day - more about today, less about tomorrow; more about people,
less about possessions; more about the eternal, less about the secular; more
about Your priorities, less about mine. Amen
