You passed away yesterday!

     You're not really here.  You have no possessions.  You have no money or gold or silver.  No IRA’s or retirement accounts or stocks or bonds.  No House.  No family. No nothing.

     So just imagine with me the scope, the depth, the hard-hitting reality of it all.  Yes, this is a mind game.  You are here.  You really never died.  But you're imagining that you did.  Your dead.  Your gone.  And you took nothing with you. 

     There is a kind of freedom, isn’t there.  It’s like, whatever.  It’s like that last payment you missed.  Big deal.  Again.  Get the picture.  You died yesterday.  But if you had the chance to come back, what would you do differently. 

     Say God granted you one more day to live.  And that’s it.  What would you do.  That’s a good question.  I think I want to fix that broken faucet that’s been broke for a couple of years now.  I mean would you like to pull the weeds one last time and make sure that the lawn is cut. 

     I don’t know, I think the lawn somehow will be cut.  And a plumber can be called to fix the faucet.  I think that I would rather make a few phone calls or pay a few visits.  I would surely spend most of the day with my immediate family, talking over old times.  Imparting some of my wisdom.

     I’m just thinking as I am writing.  Say that you for sure died yesterday but somehow God gave you a second chance but it was 7 days instead of just one day.  What would you do?  I think that I would contact everyone that I ever knew and would tell them about the Love of God and the purity of a repentant heart.  I would tell them that we are here today and gone tomorrow.  I would tell them not to put roots down to deep here because you never know when it’s your time. 

     Well let’s just go one step further.  Now you really did die yesterday, but God somehow granted you a full month to live.  What would you do in that month.  I think that I may work half of the month to pay my bills, but I think that I would take at least two weeks off.  I would spend quality time with my family.  I don’t think that I would play golf.  But maybe I would.  It would be nice to chase that ball around with friends one more time.  In fact anything that would require being with people would be something that I would like to do.  Whether it’s work or play I think that I would continue.  Because it never was for the money or fame.  It always was to be a friend or a helpful colleague.

     One last shot.  You passed on yesterday.  But lucky you.  God gave you one more year to live.  What on God’s green earth would you do.  You know what I would do.  I would surely say to the Lord; “What would you have me to do.”  I would pray and I would talk to Him.  I think that I would want to work in His fields.  Yes, I still need to provide for myself and family, but I would live as though I died.  All of my possessions would be used for His Kingdom.  They are really not mine anyway, I mean, I died.  I think that I would live simpler.  I would go for a smaller house.  I would keep my car.  I may not quit my job because of all the people interactions I have.  Isn’t that more valuable than the money I make or the hard work that it entails. 

     However, with the downsizing I would spend more time as a servant.  Jesus was a servant.  And I think I would like to follow in His footsteps.  That’s what I would do.  I would serve the rest of my life as God gives me breath.  I would live as though I died, yesterday.

Ricky B