I Waited Too Long

James 4:14 – Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (NIV)

Psalm 90:12 – Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (NIV)

My friend called from the hospital, "Ivie, I've just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer." We talked for a few minutes, and she said, "I want you to come see me. I want to talk to you."

She and I had been friends since the first grade. We had plenty of territory to cover, so I didn't take her request too seriously. It was one of those times I was extremely busy, and I kept putting the visit off until tomorrow. Then I procrastinated, "I'll wait until she goes home. Then we can talk privately and leisurely."

Early one morning, the telephone rang. A friend said, "Carolyn died last night." In all my years, I've never heard words so painful. Why had I waited? What did she want to talk with me about? Did she want to talk about spiritual things? Did she feel I had words that would comfort her as she met death? I'll never know now. It's hard to forgive myself for my procrastination. Not only had I let my friend down, I might have missed an opportunity to witness for my Lord. I had a terrible pain within my heart that I knew would be a long time healing.

We never know what day the trumpet will blow, the alarm clock will go off, or an opportunity will knock and then pass on. It took the loss of a friend to teach me this lesson. My desire is that through the sharing of my experience, "we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Prayer: Lord, we know that we have no certainty as to when this life will end. Teach us to live daily so there will be no regrets tomorrow. Amen.

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