Live Like You Were Dying
By Karen D’Amore
“Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”
“Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”
James 4:14 (NASB)
Resting her weary head on my knee, hollow-eyed and listless, she nudges me for a comforting stroke. My head spins, struggling to process the vet’s disheartening news. Moriah, my Labrador retriever, has terminal lymphoma. As her tongue lovingly wipes away my tears, my anguished heart aches watching her numbered days slip away.
With medication keeping her comfortable, I vow to make her final days meaningful. Acknowledging that each new day could be her last, I indulge her with all of her favorite things and make the most of every moment with her.
Reflecting on Moriah’s shrinking life and imminent death, I am conflicted and contemplative over my own life. What if it were I? What if I received a fatal diagnosis? How would I live my final days? Would I live my life different, if I knew that I would soon be dying?
Though I don’t believe I’d be reckless, I do imagine I’d live with a heightened sense of adventure. Time would be of the essence, so I’d redeem it sensibly. I would love harder, forgive quicker and overlook offenses by bestowing grace. I would be vigilant to right past wrongs and seek to restore broken relationships. My perspective would shift into overdrive from temporal to eternal…drawing me to be devoted to that which is most important to my Heavenly Father.
In reflection of my list, in light of our key verse, I am overcome with conviction. I AM dying…we all are…life is but a vapor with no guarantee that tomorrow will come. Every day MUST be lived with an eternal perspective. Every day MUST be lived…as if it were our last!
“Every man dies. Not every man really lives.” ~Braveheart (1)
When we live like we are dying…we are in touch with that which is most important. Everything we see with our natural eyes will one day pass away and as Christ-followers, we must rightly prioritize our lives in light of eternal significance. We must allow Christ to be so completely and thoroughly formed in us, that all that remains ultimately is the manifestation of His glory. For in the end, that will be the only thing that truly matters.
”Soon this life as we know it shall pass … only what’s done for Jesus will last.”—Author Unknown (2)
GOING DEEPER:
1. Are you living as if each day could be your last?2. Are you living with an eternal perspective and making each day count for Christ?
FURTHER READING:
Psalm 39:4; Isaiah 65:17; 2 Corinthians 4:18
Married to Dan, Karen is a retired police officer who is currently a Nail Technician at Craig Berns Salon. She’s a leader for Oakwood’s Tuesday a.m. Bible Study and a volunteer at the Wildlife In Need Center.
(1) www.quotegarden.com
(2) www.ravenhill.org
