I very rarely post work written by
other people, but I could not help but share the following short stories shared
on the Make Me Think online community. There are many more postings, all
noteworthy and relatable, but these in-particular captured what I wanted to
share today, about "today." The essence of time. How important and elusive it can be. But God
has given us NOW, today! T-O-D-A-Y. Take a moment...really enjoy and absorb the 9 short stories below.
Today, after a 72 hour shift at the
fire station, a woman ran up to me at the grocery store and gave me a
hug. When I tensed up, she realized I didn’t recognize her. She let
go with tears of joy in her eyes and the most sincere smile and said, “On
9-11-2001, you carried me out of the World Trade Center.”
Today, my mom is a healthy 54 year old
who successfully owns and operates a popular bakery downtown – a goal she had
all her life. 15 years ago she was diagnosed with cancer. In the
face of death, she quit her store clerk job, opened the bakery, started chemo
therapy, and succeeded on all fronts.
Today, after I watched my dog get run
over by a car, I sat on the side of the road holding him and crying. And
just before he died, he licked the tears off my face.
Today, as a young ‘up and coming’
lawyer, everyone in the firm was congratulating me for winning my first big
case this morning. And all day long all I could think about is how I used
a technicality in the law to help a murderer walk away a free man.
Today, on our 50th wedding anniversary,
she smiled at me and said, “I only wish I had met you sooner.”
Today, after 2 years of separation, my
ex-wife and I resolved our differences and met for dinner. We laughed and
chatted for almost 4 hours. Then just before she left, she handed me a
large envelope. In it were 20 love letters she wrote me over the last 2
years. There was a post-it note on the envelope that said, “Letters I was
too stubborn to send.”
Today, when I slipped on the wet tile
floor a boy in a wheelchair caught me before I slammed my head on the
ground. He said, “Believe it or not, that’s almost exactly how I injured
my back 3 years ago.”
Today, someone else’s tragedy provided
the miracle my family had prayed for. Thanks to this stranger, my dad
will have a heart. It’s so odd to think that an accidental death just
saved his life.
Today, I was the maid of honor in her
wedding. Four years ago she was declared cancer free. Eight years
ago, during our senior year of college, she was diagnosed with breast cancer
and told she had eighteen months to live.
Wow! Today is VERY important, isn’t it? I hope I've given you something deeper to think about. How precious today is! What a gift we’ve been given – this gift of time. Time is so
important – the Apostle Paul taught us not to make GOOD use of time, but to
make the BEST use of our time. James reminded us that our life is little more
than a vapor. Simply stated, life is short!
I’ll say it again…Be careful who and what you
invest your time in. You only have ONE today. Redeem the time!
Look UP my friends!
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