How Long?

Yesterday I was at the bedside of a new patient.  Her breathing was very labored and I could hear crackling sounds coming from her lungs.  She was unconscious and unresponsive.  Her death appeared to be very near what we would call imminent.

Her husband and daughter asked me how long did she have.  I told them that there were clear signs she was imminent and that I could say with some confidence it was not weeks but days.  However, I went on to tell them that each patient was different and that no one could say with true authority except the Lord himself.

Having been around thousands of people over the years who were dying, I can recognize the signs and note the progression but I cannot say with certainty precisely when death will occur as some people have more will to live, some people are more ready to go, some people are at peace, some people are struggling.  And, the most important reason I cannot tell is that God makes the final decision, not me or the doctor or the disease.

I am not necessarily saying that I believe God has predetermined the exact day of each person's death.  Although I know that is a popular belief based on statements found in the Bible such as, "Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" (Ps 129:16).  This could mean that God set the number of his days or it could mean that God had plans for his life, a purpose that would define his entire life, to the last day.

In Psalm 90:10, we read "Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures."  This passage seems to suggest that there is a range of years rather than an exact number.  Perhaps an individual's DNA would allow him/her to live to be 90 provided he/she takes proper care of the body. But the same individual may only live to be 80 if poor health habits prevail.  While the upper end is set, personal choices can prevent one from reaching it.

The Bible is clear that "a man reaps what he sows" (Gal 6:7) and certainly eating poorly, living with stress, a sedentary lifestyle are all seeds, which can produce a harvest of poor health and a shortened lifespan.  Nonetheless, if your DNA would allow for 100 birthdays, you might still live to be 85 or 90 even with the poorest of health habits.

At the end of the day, I don't know and I can't tell you how long you have, even if you are one of my patients.  My guesses are often very accurate, but I've also been terribly off, so I try to keep my guesswork to myself.  I talk in terms of ranges like "not years but months" or "not months but weeks."  The fact is that we will live until God calls us home, whether that is set to the day already or he has given us some latitude, and only God knows for sure.

What we do know is that we are 100% alive today.  And today is the only time in which we can operate.  Whatever we're going to do, whomever we're going to bless, wherever we're going, it will all happen today.  Yesterday is a cancelled check and tomorrow is a promissory note, today is the only currency we have to spend - spend it wisely.

Jesus put it this way, "Do not worry about tomorrow, tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matt 6:34).  Today is enough.  Don't dredge up yesterday's regrets or reel in tomorrow's fears.  You only have today to deal with.  How long do we have?  Just today.  Jus' Say'n.