The Last Time

The Last Time

This Sunday, Pop said something that has stuck with me.

He said every time he gets up to speak, he approaches it like it could be his last time.

I don’t know why that hit me the way it did. But I’ve thought about it several times since.

I suppose the older we get, the more we realize there aren’t an unlimited number of opportunities left. Things we once took for granted start looking a little different.

Think about all the firsts we celebrate in life. First steps, first words, first day of school. We take pictures of everything. My phone probably has ten thousand pictures on it, and half of them are of the grandkids.

But nobody takes pictures of the last times.

I have three grown boys. Somewhere along the way, I picked each of them up and carried them for the last time. I couldn’t tell you when. I’m sure I was probably tired, ready to get them in bed, and thinking about everything I needed to do the next day.

Had I known, I might have held on a little longer.

And that got me wondering how many other last times have come and gone without me even noticing.

James compared our lives to a vapor. Here for a little while, then gone. I’ve read that passage most of my life, but the older I get, the less explaining it seems to need.

I don’t think Pop was being morbid Sunday. I think he’s figured out something the rest of us could stand to learn.

That conversation you’ve been putting off. The person you’ve been meaning to visit. The chance to tell somebody what they mean to you.

We tend to assume there will be another opportunity. Another Sunday. Another birthday. Another Christmas around the table.

Most of the time, there is.

Until there isn’t.

I hope I remember what Pop said Sunday. Because somewhere in the middle of an ordinary day, I’m going to experience another last time.

And I’d sure hate to spend it wishing I was somewhere else.

#FirstLight #TheLastTime #Faith #Perspective #Life

First Light
www.firstlightblog.org

A daily reflection on faith, leadership, and life. One honest thought each morning to help start grounded, focused, and full of grace before the world even wakes up.

By Nathan Clark