Final 100 Days

Imagine for a moment that you know the exact date of your death. In exactly 100 days, you will no longer be here on the earth.

 

What will you do in your final days? What or who will become a priority? What or who will no longer be a priority?

 

Get Rid of It

 

If I only knew I had 100 days left to live, there are a couple of things I can easily clear from my remaining minutes:

 

Weight. I would seriously not waste one more nano-second on worrying about my weight if I knew I only had 100 more days of life. I would eat dessert with every meal, because eating desserts makes me happy. Freshly hot, salty French fries. Chocolate. Lots of fresh bread. Why? Because it brings me joy to eat these things!

 

Other people’s opinions. I would dress in whatever brought me joy. Sweats one day and my brightest, happiest dress the next. I would swing on the swings at the park with my youngest daughter and scream with joy as we race down the hill at the park together. I wouldn’t give a second thought to the judging looks sent my way.

 

Anger/resentment/bitterness. If I only have 100 days left to me, I simply do not have time for these emotions. Some of the issues I allow space in my head simply are just not that important in the grand scheme of things. True, there are some relationships that I might reach over the gaping chasm of hurt feelings and pride to repair if I had the courage of a 100 day deadline motivating me. However, most of the negative emotions simply do not have the power to hold my attention if I only have 100 more days of life left to live.

 

Priorities

 

My priorities would all revolve around relationships.

 

Relationships. I would want to spend every minute of my remaining days with my precious loved ones. I want to snuggle my husband and my kids. I want to laugh so hard that tears stream down my face with my dearest friends. I want to take walks on nature trails and talk of the deeper things of life with those people in my life who have been beside me through the darkest valleys and highest peaks of life.

 

I would spend the money on tickets to see my sisters for a weekend of laughter. I would spend the money to see my youngest brother as a Dad—his joy in his daughter is obvious in every picture, and I want to experience it in person.

 

What I Would Leave Behind

 

If I only have 100 days left of life, I want those I care most about to know who I am. What motivates me? Why have I made the decisions I have made in my life? In short, what makes me … me?

 

I want the people I most love to know that I know God. I know His hand has guided my life. I have stumbled and fallen often on the path of discipleship in this life, but I have always tried to walk towards God … except when I haven’t. Because, there have been times when I have turned away and walked alone.

 

Times when anger and resentment caused me to shake the proverbial fist toward heaven and turn my face away. Yet, I have always come back to the truth that burns in my heart—God is real. He is the Father of my soul. God knows me. And this knowledge brings me back every time I stray.

 

Our missionary has 100 days remaining in his mission. A mere one hundred days to impact, teach, and touch another’s life in the uniquely special calling of a missionary. I pray that he will focus on these precious relationships he has developed.

 

I pray that any hurt feelings or pride will be laid aside as he gives the Lord every last bit of himself in service and love to those around him. I pray that when he ‘dies’ in missionary lingo, he will look back over the final 100 days of his mission life and see that they were the brightest and most joyous days of his entire time of service.