Not My Day

When was the last time you stared down death? For the first time in my life, I didn't know if it would be my last Sunday. I have served in the capacity of a supporter during others' brush with death countless times. But it was different this time, it was me. A person's faith and beliefs come into clear focus in moments like these. 

After a Saturday of celebrating Lisa and I's thirty-sixth year of being together, we returned home from an evening out. I began to feel more uncomfortable as the night went on. After a few hours of restlessness, I decided to go to the emergency room just for peace of mind. Once I made it into a doctor's care, tests were run. The electrocardiogram showed that I was having a heart attack. Even though I was not experiencing any of the classic symptoms, I was headed to the cardiac cath lab. 

I talked to the cardiologist the entire way through my procedure. He discovered that I had a major blockage and was able to put a stint in. I was back in recovery in less than an hour. For the next several hours, I was left to myself for the most part. Lisa could not visit until eight on Sunday evening. I had a lot of time to sit in my hospital bed to think. 

Here are three things that became crystal clear on that Sunday. 

1.  Number your days 

The Bible tells us to teach us to number our days in Psalm 90:12. We all think that we have a lifetime left to live, to fulfill our dreams and spend time with the ones we love. Living life with the end in mind is a good idea. I asked the question to myself, "Is this the life you should be living?" What should you be doing differently and do you have your priorities aligned correctly?  

2. Live life for God, not yourself

When you are facing your potential end, it is common to do some serious life evaluation and soul searching. The second reality for me is this: life is much more meaningful being lived for God than living for yourself.  Matthew 6:33 says, But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be provided to you. I have concluded that I am doing the things that God created me to do and with the people, He has placed beside me.  Pastoring a church and coaching young people is something that I was born to do. I am incredibly grateful that I still am able to fulfill my life purpose and that God is giving me more time to impact others for Him.

3. Leave no unfinished business.

When the Cardiologist announced that I was having a heart attack, I immediately thought about my people. I was prompted in my spirit to answer this question, Do I have any unfinished business? Is there anything I need to say? I have thought about this a lot and still up to this present moment, all my relationships are up to date. I have regrets and lapses in judgment over my life but I have come to resolve them with God and others. The Bible says in James 5:16, "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed."

We have no promise of tomorrow. We get today, so number your days., live life for God and not yourself, and leave no unfinished business.