What If This Was My Last Post?

Yesterday I had a virus that incapacitated me for the whole day. I spent most of the time lying in my bed with the curtains closed, avoiding bright lights and loud noises.  As I laid there I was inundated with strange random dreams throughout the day, most of which made no sense, typical of most dreams. But in the midst of my semi-consciousness this overwhelming thought occurred to me:

"What if my most recent blog post was my last?"

What a sobering thought!  Not just that it would have been my last blog post, but that it may have been my last opportunity to say what I wanted to say to:

My loved ones

My friends near and far

My future generations

My Lord and Savior

Well....maybe not that last one...If I were to die today I am certain I would be seeing my Lord and Savior face to face, and I would be speechless!  Hopefully, the blog post is not the only method of communication with my Lord or my loved ones and friends...but again...this was a semi-conscious illness induced thought, so bear with me.

If yesterday had been my last day of communication with the world, I would have missed out on this:

 This curious young bear sitting outside my kitchen window this morning!

And I may have missed out on this:

This sweet dragonfly landing on the top of the wind chime as I sat inside the arbor in the memorial garden...

Or this:

Thankfully I noticed him before he noticed me!   

And then there was this:

Sunlight reflecting off of these spider webs...and this tiny little spider waiting for his breakfast at the center of the web...

And if yesterday had been my last day, I would have missed this lovely Rose of Sharon bud (picture taken two days ago) opening up into this beautiful full flower this morning...and I've been waiting for this event all summer!  This particular bush was planted last June in memory of our son Matthew in the memorial garden, and it bloomed profusely all last summer.  I was about to give up hope that it was ever going to bloom again, and now all of a sudden there are many more buds developing! New life out of what had appeared to have died...

But most of all, I would have missed out on

saying, "I love you" to my husband and sons and 

mother-in-law this morning.  I would have missed the phone calls from concerned friends when they heard I was sick.

I would have missed reading about others on Facebook who have prayer requests and/or praises for the answers to prayers...or who just wanted to share their own good news and happy thoughts for the day.

I would have missed reading from God's Word this morning in our devotional time before my hubby left to take his mother back to stay with her other son and family for the week. And she (my mother in law) would have missed that especially. She looks forward to that first cup of coffee and hearing me read the Bible every morning when she is here with us. We had to cancel our Home Bible Fellowship meeting here at our house yesterday because I was sick, and that made me sad because I know how much she looks forward to seeing our friends come for worship and praise and fellowship, and then to hear her son share from God's Word with our group. Yesterday morning as I heard my hubby calling our friends to tell them we would have to cancel I wanted to cry out and say, "No! Please don't do that! I don't want to be the cause for their disappointment!"  But he was correct in that it would not have been wise to invite them into a home where there is an ongoing virus present. That would not be a good thing to share.  

If yesterday had been my last day here on earth, I would miss out on the future generations that are yet to come.  As of now, we have one precious grandson, who lives pretty far away.  We don't get to see him very often, and now that his daddy, our son Matthew has passed on to heaven, it seems like our communication with our grandson is becoming less and less. Not by choice...but it just seems that way. He's almost 16, so soon his life will be expanding and his interests will take him possibly farther away...but as of now, he is our one hope for a 'future generation' someday.  I still have two unmarried sons, so hopefully there is still hope...so I'd like to hang around and see what develops.  

If yesterday had been my last day my thought was, "What have I left for future generations?  What kind of legacy would I be leaving for them...and what impact would I have made on the world around me?"

In my devotional reading this morning we read from Matthew 10:34-11:1, which is Christ talking to His disciples about the cost of discipleship.  This speaks to me of taking a stand for Christ, and making a difference in the world:

"And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

He who finds his life will lose it,

and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

He who receives you receives Me,

and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me."

Matthew 10:38-40

Many years ago I chose to take up the cross of Christ and follow Him.  Even though I love this life here on earth that I've been given, all of the things of this world are nothing when compared to the glory of heaven.  If yesterday had been my last day here on earth, today I would be in paradise with Christ, enjoying the splendor of heaven.  So even though it may appear that I am clinging to this life, I am thankful that I had this opportunity today to tell you that if this were my last day on earth, there is something much greater awaiting.  

If this were YOUR last day on earth...do you know that heaven is awaiting you?  Are you ready to enter heaven's gates at a moment's notice?  My little virus came on me very suddenly.  One day I felt perfectly fine, and the next day I did not.  Our lives hang by a very fragile thread.  One misstep, one crazy driver, one horrendous storm or accident, one earth-shattering diagnosis...and we could be standing face to face with our Creator God. 

I know that I am ready to meet Jesus.  I've placed my life in the Savior's loving hands by faith in His redeeming love. I am not perfect...and I may have left a few things undone or unsaid, but I am trusting in the One who created me to "perfect that which concerns me..." (Psalm 138:8)...I've asked Him to:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;  Try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."  Psalm 139:23-24.

And I believe He will do just that.  How about you?