What Do You Do When Your Doctor Says You Have Outlived Your Life Expectancy

     A Not Surprising Comment

     I know the title of this blog, today, may sound a bit strange; however, it represents something that was actually told to me just a short while ago.  I recently had another issue with my heart.  So, I was in with my Cardiologist, and he was attempting to work out appropriate protocols for my medical care.  He was looking at my record, and he looked back at me.  As a matter of fact, he did this multiple times, and then he said, "You do know you should not be here.  You are a walking miracle! People who have had all the things happen to their heart, like have had happen to you, usually live only 5 years."Then we talked about expected longevity:  He said, in informing me how much longer he thought I could expect to be here on planet earth, he pointed to the floor, he looked into my eyes, and he said, "You have today!"  I smiled, and I said to him, "Doc you are not the first one to ever tell me this." I'm thinking he was a bit surprised by my smile, and by my response.

So, What Do You Do?

What do you do with a statement like the one my Doctor made?  I have seen many people faced with this, in my fifty-one years of ministry, and I have seen people break down in tears overwhelmed with grief.  I did nothing of the sort.  I have been told this before,  as I managed medicines, my weight, my food intake, sleepless nights and my exercise regimens. Jesus even told us about this when He said, "Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Therefore, what I do is I live today fully with the love of my life, Vicki.  I do so because it is the ONLY day I am given for sure. That is right. I get up, give up, dress up (clothe myself in Christ) by armoring up (putting on the armor of God.)  This empowers me to power up with God's resurrection power. It is no wonder I am able to do things that I "shouldn't be able to do."  I live one day at a time. I take one step at a time, I give this day to God, first thing every morning, and I live  life to the full, which is what Jesus says is the right thing to do. And I can tell you that it is, indeed, the right thing to do.  I determine, "this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!"  When conflicts arise, as they surely will do, I do all I can to give it up to God. I have come to learn that I  cannot control people, places, events or situations that are disturbing, while I ask the Lord to help me become more like Him.  I cannot control the future, and I determine to not try to control it nor the people in the future. And I choose to forgive. It might take a bit for me to have the Lord balance my emotions, but I forgive. Then I try to learn from how I am thinking, feeling and wanting to be/do.  I seek God's grace to vision how God would have me to be -- in order to be more like my Lord -- under the circumstances. 

Additionally, today,  I reclaim my identity in Christ. In other words, I do not let what others think of me -- or what I think they think of me -- define who I am ... today. It only matters what God thinks of me.  I am NOT the GREAT I AM; however, I am what I am by the grace of God. (1 Corinthians 15:10.)  Because I am IN Christ, I am "a new creation." All the old stuff is gone, and God's new life flows through me today. Having such a relationship, with the Lord Jesus, is the only way to live so fully. Meanwhile, these single days have turned in to two decades of daily living.

If You Were Told Today Were Your Last ...

If you were in your Doctors office today, and if your Doctor told you that you have today as your life expectancy, what would you do?  How would you be?  Answering such questions, in a Christ honoring Holy Spirit empowered way, can make for a really great life.

God Bless You,

SoJourner