One Year to Live

Yesterday I heard a man talking about how bad it would be if you were told that you only had one more year to live! That started me wondering; how would different people look upon it if God was to give each one “one more year?” Could it be a blessing for some and a curse for others?
Could it be an incentive for some to accomplish as much as they could in such a short time? While others might say; “if that’s all the time I have left why bother?” Then, think about those in dreadful pain, wouldn’t their reply be; “I don’t think I can stand another year!”
As I’ve said many times before; each of us is an individual, our lives are how we live it and how we look upon it. Some of us always look for beauty in our world, while others only see nastiness and hardships!
I look upon my life as a beautiful ever blooming rose with each one of my days a new blossom. A blossom more beautiful and more interesting than the last! And, each of those days, I take the time to smell each rose! I look upon each day as God’s blessing! I’ve also learned that many times I had to look for God’s blessings, and find them, before I could enjoy them!
I have met several who told me that they felt cursed to have to live in their life’s miserable shell! Could that shell be the one they built for themselves? It makes me wonder if that person would be overjoyed living another year like the last one?
Some tell me they would like to live their life as if there was no God. Then, take their chances after they die! I would far rather live my life as if there IS a God and know my chances when I die!
How many different answers do you think, God would get, if He walked into YOUR place of worship and told each one they had just one year to live? And then, He would ask each one what they planned to do with those just over three-hundred fifty days?
Many would tell Him that they would lead a better life. What would you tell Him if that had been your answer and His follow up question was; “ why are you not doing that now?”
Could that one line be life’s most important question? “Why aren’t you doing that now?”
I challenge you to sit down and make a list of the changes YOU would make in the way YOU ARE living your life, if you were sure you had less than a year to live!
Just think; how many of your life’s priorities would suddenly change! Things, that today, you think you can’t live without suddenly become far less important!
Now, I have a confession to make; I’m over eighty-six years old and for the past several years I have tried to live each day as if it could be my last! If today or tomorrow happens to be that last day, so be it. My past is my past; my future is known to me. If my God was to grant me another full year I would give thanks. If I could change some of my past, of course I would. My worst mistakes are those I now have been forgiven for.
Almost every day I walk through fields of flowers, I communicate with friends, and yes, I take the time to smell those flowers! Have you?
How good or bad that year could be can only be determined by the person living it. I know my days will be sunny and bright, and I hope yours are as well!