Lightening strikes quickly

My best friend when I lived in Jacksonville has cancer again. He has been in remission but it is back. He very nearly died the last time and went right to the edge. He underwent aggressive chemo-therapy for a very long time and survived but it was not pretty. I talked to him yesterday and he was really down. I have been praying for him and his family off and on since I heard the news and got off the phone with him. He will undergo surgery Monday and I ask you to pray for him and his family too.

Life was going along great for my friend. Financially he hit the jackpot when he sold his technology company at the height of the dot.com frenzy and money was the least of his worries. He originally did not come from a wealthy background, but started his own company and built it from the ground up. He took risks and worked extremely hard for many years to achieve financial success. Then cancer struck him down and he ended up selling his company and ‘retiring’.

As we discussed his condition, we talked at length about how short our days on this earth are. He mentioned that when he beats cancer again this time that he and his wife are going to do far more together and he is going to visit friends like me and do all of the things he has been putting off. My friend owns his own private jet and can be practically anywhere in the country in short order, but even though he is fully retired’ and has the means to do so, it seems he is still tied up with various business matters and rarely does so.

As we said our goodbyes and I was getting off the phone with him, he told me yet again to make every day count. I promised him that I intend to do that to the best of my ability; however I must admit that it is difficult not to get hung up on trivial stuff that really does not amount to a hill of beans. I have faced death like my friend and it helps one to realize what is important in life and what is not, but the farther one gets away from threats to our lives, the easier it is to fall into this trap of worrying about the small stuff. I do not know if you can understand this concept without living through something like this, but I urge you to try. Forget about those small frustrations that are part of life and live your life to the fullest. Remember that we are vulnerable. Doing so helps to keep us focused on the Lord whom we shall join for eternity. We must always put God first in our lives and set aside some time for our family and friends and then do the things in life that we enjoy to the fullest, always being thankful for every minute that we are given.

Psalm 39:4
Lord make me know my
end,
And what is the measure of my days,
That I may know how frail I am.