“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Cor. 6:2
Today’s Christian Daily Devotional
As I walk down the hospital hall, I can feel my heart pounding outside of my chest. I distract myself by concentrating on the serene pictures of nature glued to the walls of the hallway. They are a direct contrast to the stark steel and cold medical equipment scattered along my path; they speak that death is in the air. As I sigh to release the tension building in my body, the air that fills my lungs is musty and familiar. Stale hospital air is pungent and inescapable. Arriving at room # 511, I peek into the open door. There in bed “B” lies my dear friend, Wanda. Memories flash across my mind—-in a second I am recalling her jovial face the last time I saw her. Although Wanda is in her eighties, her vibrant laugh and her dyed red hair would convince anyone that she was a decade younger. Wanda could spar with anybody half her age about complex issues like the state of the economy to simple pleasures like what natural beauty treatments were best for your particular hair texture. As I look into her eyes, I see that the stroke she suffered from did not take her fighting spirit. (Wanda cannot move the right side of her body and she is having a difficult time forming words.) But, Wanda is still very much alive. I have not seen my dear friend in many years, and it is tragic to come to terms this is what it took for me to stop by. What is a shameful reminder to me that life is moving quickly; I regret pushing down that deep urge in my spirit to visit my friend whenever the thought of her came to the surface of my heart. Who do you love that God has been moving you to call? Are you embarrassed that is has been a while since you checked in on them? Is that the reason why you haven’t? Don’t let your pride stop you from doing the very thing that you will never regret in the scope of your life—do the thing that will be an investment into memories you might never have a second chance to create with them and look back upon. I am not SURE that Wanda knows Christ as her personal savior. If you love someone, the most important thing you can do is to make sure that you will be able to enjoy them for eternity. Don’t hold back the greatest news of your life (Christ!) You may never get a chance to be able to invite them to join you and Him forever.
“Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the gift of friendship. As I am getting older, I am seeing the value of good ones, as they are rare and precious. Once again, I come to you in regret and sadness. Wanda is just one example of a precious gift from you that I did not take care of to the best of my ability. Yes, I have been busy. But, I should never be “too busy” to take care of the hearts of my friends and their needs. You have nudged my heart many times to stop by and just say “hi”; and each time I came up with a brilliantly “acceptable” reason to put it off for another day. The day of regret has arrived. Lord, let this lesson sink deep into my spirit. It is something that should not be brushed aside and forgotten, taken lightly and ignored. The most important treasures in your eyes are people. We were called to take care of each other—in actions not in words. I am not only asking for you to heal my friend Wanda from all the complications of her stroke, I am asking you to give me another chance to make sure I get to enjoy her sweet spirit and wonderful heart for eternity. Open up another chance for me to be able to do that. In Jesus’ precious name, please help me keep your kingdom priorities above all other distractions in my life, Amen.”
