"Don't leave me."
Those were the words said to me as I held this elderly woman to my side; sitting with her as her life was escaping from her mortal shell.
I had come to know this elderly woman, a former teacher in my hometown only a few weeks as she entered into my care. Truth be told, she didn't want to be in a "nursing home", and recognizing her discomfort my co-workers and I worked hard to make her feel at home. I established a repertoire with her family particularly her son who interested in my veteran status from the military. I took it upon myself to communicate with her family more than I normally would, and I made sure this woman was taken care of by the staff at the facility I worked at.
So on her final day, as we were working together to restore her functional independence, I was reminded of just how fleeting life can be. In a span of fifteen minutes, she went from being full of life and ready to work hard in therapy to passing from this life and into the next.
James 14:4 says, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (NIV).”
I never in my life witness that verse played out before me. One minute she was performing her occupational therapy; the next minute she was begging me to not leave her side. She leaned on me sitting on that therapy mat as her spirit prepared to depart the mortal vessel it had inhabited for a lifetime.
As I returned her to her wheelchair and transferred her care to the nurse on duty, I didn't realize it would be the last thing she would say to me. "Don't leave me."
Life is precious, but is short. Psalm 144:4 tells us that are lives are like a fleeting shadow. The Bible says our lives do not even cover the span of God's hand. 100 years of a human life is but an eye blink from God's eternal face. We like to think we have tomorrow but we don't. We are never really sure. We cannot even be sure of life in the next second let alone 1,440 seconds-24 hours.
When her passing was announced, I reflected upon life and my own personal journey. I had to ask myself once more the same question I have been asking myself as of late: what am I doing with my life? What do I consider important?
To this woman, going home was what she placed of value. Now whether she meant her earthly home or her heavenly home I guess now that is answered. What was not on her mind for her life in those last few moments was who was president, how much money she had, or all these so-called important issues everyone else seems focused on. She just wanted to live and do whatever it took to go home. At first it was endure physical rehab but then it became to simply surrender to God. And she did, and as much as it shook me it also was beautiful to watch.
What is important today to you? Is it a government which will fall as all of them do? Is it money that can be burned or lose value in a blink of an eye or a bad decision made by those "in power"? Is it that sexual conquest you have been planning for sometime now without any regard as to how that encounter will affect the both of in the future? What is important to you?
Her family told me she loved me. She trusted me. She put her life in my hands. They shook my hand, some hugged me, and they all thanked me. I had to thank them for in the short time I knew her and in those final moments she reminded me of what is most important in life: love.
Jesus told his disciples, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39 NIV).’”
The Apostle Paul would explain this further when he wrote in Galatians 5 that the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love, and in 1 Corinthians 13 he wrote, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love (NIV).”
See, there is no amount of wealth that can replace the love of my wife. There is not a governmental authority alive who can take my life away and the love I have for my wife, my children, my friends, my family, and for life in general. We can spend our lives passionate about that which is fleeting, which crumbles like rocks into dust; or we can spend our lives investing in our love towards God by investing in our love towards others.
I choose the latter. I choose to spend my life investing in love; love for God and love for others. I choose to spend my life being vulnerable to the risks love brings but knowing it is worth more than a bag full of gold. That is what I choose because love is eternal. Patriotism, wealth, reputations, fame, all these nonsensical things is not eternal. They are as worthless as dust on the furniture. Love is forever; love is eternal. Love is worth your investment. Love begs you, "Don't leave me."
Until next time...
