So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.Psalm 90:12
Some news articles catch my attention. One about a man famous for the photo of him fleeing the collapsing Twin Towers on 9/11 2001. According to the article, he just died of Covid-19 in Florida. Another article says that the governor of Georgia declared a state of emergency because of all the weekend violence leading to several deaths, including an innocent child. Life is so uncertain.
Yesterday I attended a memorial service of a sister in the Lord I know from our time in Boston. She was only four years older than me, had three sons, one of whom was a friend of Patrick. She first came down with cancer three years ago, fought it into remission but it came back.
As I listened, I saw the sum of my friend's life. It was all about relationship. She was pursuing her PhD in New York. This their first son was born. She decided to quit her studies and focus on the family. As she raised her three boys and cared for her husband, she constantly reminded them to care for others and to seek God first. She was known for her hospitality, for caring for the children at church and making sure they heard about God. One friend told of how my friend led her back to God. This was the way she was, always caring for souls, involved in outreach and missions. Even during her three years' fight with cancer, she still went on missions. And she was always praying for others. My friend spent her life learning to live with others, learning to live with God and learning to serve God. (1 Cor. 3:12-15)
Brothers and sisters, we invest our time in many things. Many of those things are unavoidable: work, study, sleep, eating... But, we need to prioritize our time investment. Which of those things can we take into heaven with us? Not our degree nor our rewards nor our stocks or retirement accounts. All our debates, our arguments will count for nothing in the end. What will count is our relationship with God, our relationships with other who are in Christ and we can take our service to God. (2 Tim. 4:8)
The sharing about my friend yesterday was encouraging. She continued strong in the Lord. We've all seen some people drift away from their relationship with God. But she was faithful and persevered to the end. She taught her sons to always finish what they start and to finish well. She fought the good fight and she finished well. (Gal. 6:9; Heb. 10:36).
May we all be wise and faithful like my friend and finish well. Brothers and sisters, during this time of sickness under Covid-19, racial unrest, increasing economic instability and debates over the election, may we hear God calling us take to look at the investment of our time. May husbands and wives help each other invest more wisely. May we help one another, as brothers and sister in the Lord, to evaluate and to investment of time wisely. And turn to John 9:4 to think further on this.