Friday, February 21, 2014

When your number's up

One of the realities about working in a skilled nursing facility is that people pass away. Sometimes it's people who've been sick for awhile- eventually they stop getting out of bed, become less and less responsive, eat less and sleep more- and you get the feeling it's coming.

Other times it's completely unexpected. I've heard about two patients recently who died suddenly. They had been doing really well. They were pretty independent and cognitively aware. Even though they were both old, it was shocking to hear about them passing away.

What I've come to realize is that our days our numbered by God. He knows when each and every one of us will draw our last breath. There is nothing we can do to stop it. Conversely, there is nothing we can do to hasten it. Jerry Falwell used to say, "You're invincible until God is done with you."

I've been reminded that life is brief. It makes me want to live life to the fullest and enjoy every moment as much as I can. To love God and to love others, because that's what matters most. I want to know that when I die, I lived as much as I could in the time that I had.

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