What if this Christmas was your last?

I met a lady recently who has only been given a few months to live… this Christmas will be her last. She has no family close to her and she will most likely be alone on Christmas day. When you hear something like that, it gets you thinking. What would I do if that was me? How would I feel? Have you ever been there and thought about it? Imagine… What would you do if this Christmas was YOUR last?

~What would you want to do this year compared to other years?
~Who would you want to see?
~What would you want to say?
~What would you want to give others?
~How would you want to be remembered?

When our prognosis by the doctors becomes grim or someone close to us takes a turn for the worse, it seems like life stands still. We want to go back to a slower pace and put everything on hold to savor every moment with the ones we love. We make the issues of the moment a priority over the busyness of our everyday lives. We don’t want to regret one moment in these last days they have with us.

In moments like these, time is priceless. We are all given the same 24 hours each day; however how we each choose to use it is very different. For many we choose a variety of ways to “spend” our time… we punch in our “time” cards at work, frequent the grocery stores, chip away at household projects, wait hours on end at various appointments, hang out with family and friends, play sports & pursue hobbies, take time for beauty sleep, and feed our faces at least 3 times daily. Time is precious and what we choose to spend our time on shows what is truly important to us.

How much is our time worth today? How much is your time worth? Did you know that we can give and receive when it comes to our time. We are paid for our time when we work, but when we take the time to be with family and friends, we are choosing to give our time to them. Giving our time to others shows them how much they are valued. How much of your time are you giving away?

Think about it…

Are you above average when it comes to how you spend your time? What do you do on a daily basis? What do you value? Check out a survey that was taken on how a typical American might spend their time. This is based on an average 25-54 year old employed person with children. Here is the breakdown of what was found.

How a typical American spends their time daily…

~Sleeping…….......….. 7.6 hours
~Working………...…… 8.8 hours
~Eating and drinking… 1 hour
~Household activities…1 hour
~Caring for others……. 1.3 hours
~Leisure and sports...…2.6 hours
~Other……………...…. 1.7 hours

With a grand total of 24 hours spent.

Remember this is an average American. We are all given the same 24 hours each day. If we want to be beyond average, we are going to have to make some changes to our schedule to fit in what we feel is most important. We may need to sleep less, work less, or readjust some things to show those closest to us that they are priceless to us and worth “our” time. What we value shows in how we spend our time? Does how you spend your time show what you value?

What would you do if this Christmas was your last?

James 4:14 says…
“…yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

I think we need to live each day as if “it” was our last. We aren’t promised tomorrow. Living this way would make life richer, more fulfilling, freeing, and full of possibilities. We would hug people more, speak words of encouragement, Lavish love on others, Forgive and Forget quickly, say “I love you” often, and spend countless hours savoring the moments with the ones we love. I challenge you to strive to look back upon your life with no regrets… cherish the memories made, the lives impacted, and the journey traveled. A life well spent is a life well lived. Let this Christmas be your best yet!

Living to leave a legacy,
Julie