Life is Short, Let’s Act Like It Matters

You never imagine walking through tough seasons.  It seems to find you whether you’re prepared or not.  The fragility of life is real.

It’s hard to watch someone my age come to terms with their mortality in the face of a disease that is consuming every piece of their body.  It seems incomprehensible.  Like how is this even possible?  How is this even right?

It’s hard to watch someone just a few years older than me cope with their expected death.  I know because I’ve seen it.  I’ve watched both the young and old make decisions to stop active treatment.  The brave decision to focus on their quality of life.  For whatever time is left.  I’ve watched those who know their time on earth is running out.

I’ve seen the faces of those who made the choice.  I’ve held the hands and given the hugs.  It’s a weird place to be.  The place between treating a disease and healing.  The life of a nurse, you see it all.  Some days hurt more than others.

Life has a fragile sense about it.  There seems to be a sense of stillness that sends shivers throughout our souls when we truly stop to think about it.  Perhaps it hits closer when the person impacted is someone you love.  Or perhaps you just connect with that person somehow.  A common interest makes you click.  It’s hard to lose when you care.

I’m challenged in my career as a nurse, to be present in all things.  It’s moments like the ones I’ve described above that make it difficult.  I'm reminded every single day how short this life is.

A reminder and jolt to start acting like life matters.  As a Christ follower, am I living in such a way that it’s obvious that Heaven is my goal?  

Am I appreciative?

Thankful?

Loving in my attitude?

Do I have a sense of joy and peace that is not dependent on my outer circumstances?

I don’t know about you, but I want to live as though this life matters.  All of it.  The good, the bad, and the ugly.  There’s reason to be thankful everyday, no matter what the circumstances are around me.  I’ve seen there is more to life than what meets the eye and there are far worse things in life than death.

I pray that I can be wise in this life.  That I don’t take moments for granted because there are far too many people my own age who are facing death itself right now.  I’ve learned a lot in my job working against cancer, but I think I’ve learned something far more important than any nursing skill.  I don’t want to get to the end of my life and realize I missed the point.

It’s time to act like life matters.

Psalm 90

Lord, through all the generations you have been our home!  Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God. You turn people back to dust, saying, Return to dust, you mortals!

For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours. You sweep people away like dreams that disappear. They are like grass that springs up in the morning. In the morning it blooms and flourishes, but by evening it is dry and withered. We wither beneath your anger; we are overwhelmed by your fury. You spread out our sins before you—our secret sins—and you see them all. We live our lives beneath your wrath, ending our years with a groan.

Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away.  Who can comprehend the power of your anger? Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve.

Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. O Lord, come back to us! How long will you delay? Take pity on your servants! Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good.

Let us, your servants, see you work again; let our children see your glory. And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!