As I descended the three flights of stairs in my office building to the ATM, I had a deja vu moment. In a thought, I was taken back to high school some 30+ years ago. I was then on my way do something during class. For a moment today I was really "there." During my jaunt around the building I began to think of an eclectic array of moments in my life: my wife's shaking hands while we stood at the altar preparing to say our vows, the faint moment I had at 4:39 am the day our daughter was born, the memories of my mother's last moments here on earth; and my dad too. The vapor of this life over for them... the grief, the joy over loved-ones trapped by cancer for months of suffering... over forever.
I also thought about my missed opportunities, the fact that my mother never my met my wife of youngest daughter... the day I quit a job I wish I had now... the regret of selling my vintage guitar collection for thousands when it is now worth hundreds of thousands... there are a lot things that I wish I had done already. And a boat-load of things I wish I had skipped, like calling a neighbor kid some foul name right before he punched me in the mouth, one too many drinks at the school dance... the vapor of life.
When I think about time, I think how much has passed; the fact that some memories are a little faded and others perhaps gone. I hesitate to say forever because there is going to be some sort of judgement, or a least a review. That means it will all be there in black and white and God isn't going to miss anything. The Good News is that by faith, He will forgive them all and remember them no more... however that works. The other Good news is this. Most of us still have some time left. We can squander it and have more regrets a year from now, or we can change our life and thinking and create something new. We could commit to doing something for God, something of value, something of eternal value.
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
We could, if there was time.
