Live Like You Were Dying

I attended Walter's funeral services yesterday. He had lived 68 years on this earth before he stepped over the threshold of eternity. As we went through the rituals of death and I watched the family deal with their grief, a Tim McGraw song echoed through my mind. As I understand, Tim wrote it after a talk with his Dad, the former Phillies pitcher, Tug McGraw. Tug was diagnosed with a terminal cancer and knew his days were limited. Knowing he was dying (aren't we all?) he changed the way he lived. Take a look at these lyrics:

He said I was in my early forties,
with a lot of life before me,
when a moment came that stop me on a dime.
I spent most of the next days, looking at the x-rays.
Talking bout’ the options and talking bout’ sweet time.
I asked him when it sank in, that this might really be the real end,
how’s hit ya’ when you get that kind of news?
Man, what do ya do?

And he said-
"I went skydiving, I went rocky mountain climbing
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull name Fu Man Chu
And I loved deeper, And I spoke sweeter,
And I gave forgiveness I’d been denyin’
And he said some day I hope you get the chance-
To live like you were dyin'!"

He said I was finally the husband, that most of the time I wasn’t.
And I became a friend; a friend would like to have.
And all a sudden goin’ fishin' wasn't such an imposition,
and I went three times that year I lost my Dad.
Well, I finally read the Good Book,
and took a good long hard look
at what I would do if I could do it all again.

Like tomorrow was a gift,
and ya got eternity to think about what to do with it,
what could you do with it, what did I do with it, what would I do with it?

And I watched an eagle as it was flyin'...
And he said some day I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dyin'! -- 2004 copyright by Tim McGraw

I going to keep this TFTD very simple this morning and invite you to do what I've done over the last 24 hours, an inventory of unfinished business. Just about all of us think we have plenty of time to get our relationships right, to say what needs to be said, to touch a life with love - and, in fact, we might have another 20, 30, 40 years on this earth - or we might have a day, a week, or a month. We need to "live like we were dying," not in gloom and doom but getting the most from this day, determined that when God says, 'Come on home,' we don't have to leave loose ends that others have to try to tie off!

The Scripture is a lot more eloquent in an appeal to us about living on purpose.
Meditate on this passage for a few moments with bowed head and humble heart, won't you?

"Make the most of every chance you get.
These are desperate times!
Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly.
Make sure you understand what the Master wants.
Don’t drink too much wine. That cheapens your life.
Drink the Spirit of God, huge draughts of him.
Sing hymns instead of drinking songs!
Sing songs from your heart to Christ." (Ephesians 5:16-19, The Message)

And, if we do these things, when our final appointment on earth is called, we will leave sorrowing, but satisfied people who experienced the greatest gift- our love- and we will meet Him face to face and hear the sweetest words ever:

• Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful ... Let’s celebrate together!’" (Matthew 25:21, NLT)