What If I Had One Day to Live

Last Sunday night our small group gathered at our house for a cookout. One of the times I came inside from the grill, the house was silent, no one was in sight. I heard and saw no one. The first thought that occurred was, "O my, I missed it!" Thankfully they were in the garage looking at some furniture purchases which are being stripped and refinished for our girl's apartments next year.

Harold Camping is predicting the end of the world on May 21st in a cataclysmic earthquake at 6 p.m. (not sure if it's Eastern, Central, Mountain or Pacific). So that got me to thinking, what if I had only one day left to live? What would I do differently? How would I live my life in those final 24 hours?

First let me say that Mr. Camping is probably very wrong. He was wrong in 1994 too. No one knows the time or the hour God clearly states (Mark 13:32). To try to figure it out would be an exercise in futility, especially for someone who can't read the New Testament in the original Greek.

But what if I knew - what if you knew - and there were 24 hours left? Would my priorities change? If I knew the whole world were ending, that would be a different question. I'm saying it's just me.
   I'm pretty certain I wouldn't be trying to figure out when it's not going to rain in Ohio and therefore I can cut the grass. I wouldn't be concerned with laundry, changing the oil in a car, fixing two chipped windshields, and a plethora of other daily details.

Friday I have the following plans: teaching my daughter how to drive a 5-speed Toyota which we will drive from Columbus to West Chester and she will return by herself to Columbus and officiating at a swim meet with my son. I love that I will get to spend time with my family. I wouldn't change that.

I will get up tomorrow, fix my son's lunch, driver him to school and be off to Columbus. I will spend time in the car praying and thinking, listening to the Word on CD, perhaps making a few calls.

So maybe if I knew it was my last day I wouldn't be teaching a child to drive but then again it's a way to make sure she is safe when I am gone. So I'm not sure I would change that.

I think I would pray for my family more diligently and passionately if I knew I was in my last 24 hours. I would pray for their safety and growth in their faith. I would probably make a video as a legacy.

What would you change? How would your life be different? Let's live life so that if we really knew it was our last 24, we wouldn't change a thing.