Billy Coffey
Billy Coffey

A matter of time

August 26, 2009  


I’m going to die on November 5, 2055. So says the nifty little quiz I just filled out on the internet. And though it’s hard to put much faith in the accuracy of a prediction based in part on how often I recycle (question number five), this is good information to have. Because whether the date is exact or not, the truth of it is.

One day, I’m going to die.

November 5, 2055, does seem reasonable. I’ll be eighty-three years old then, and my children will be in their late forties. I’ll most likely have grandchildren, be retired, and spend most of my days telling everyone who will listen that the world was a much better place back in 2009.

So yes, dying at eighty-three would be okay with me. That’s a good age to smile at this world and wave goodbye, right there in the meaty part between hanging around too long and not long enough.

At least, that’s what I thought. I’m not so sure now. Having forty-six years left for me to finish whatever it is I want to start seems like a lot of time, but it isn’t when you start to dig a little deeper. Trust me. Because that’s what I did.

If the scribbles on the sheet of paper in front of me are right, most of my remaining forty-six years are already spoken for. I’ll spend twelve of them sleeping, three eating, ten either exercising or resting, and another ten just on home maintenance.

All of which leaves me with a grand total of eleven years to live. One hundred and thirty-two months to make a difference.

Not a lot, is it? Especially considering the fact that November 5, 2055 is at best an approximation and at worst a clever marketing ploy designed to deluge me with junk mail. My end may come later. It may also come before I finish writing this. I don’t know.
None of us do.

Which is why it amazes me that we always think there is time. Plenty of time. There’s always tomorrow, we say. And that may be true for some of us. But not for everyone.

About 146,000 people in the world will wake up this morning thinking there’s plenty of time, not knowing this will be their last day in this life. That’s 6,098 people an hour, 102 people every minute, and about 2 per second. In the time it took you to read this paragraph, twenty people have died.

Amazing, isn’t it? Sad, too. Not because our lives must end, but because the thought of death rarely crosses our minds.

Life fools us into thinking it is this hulking, indestructible beast, when it’s really as fragile as a porcelain figurine . It is holy and sacred and fleeting and never guaranteed. Believing otherwise is not only dangerous to us, it’s dangerous to how we live.

The truth? We don’t have plenty of time. Our every breath is the oil that moves the gears of our days, sending us closer to the moment when we say goodbye to this world and hello to the next. We can’t put off chasing that dream. We can’t delay making those amends. We can’t wait to say “I love you” or “I’m sorry.”

We can’t linger when it comes to the things that make living worthwhile, the people and the dreams that give us meaning. We have to take care of them every minute, every moment. Because maybe they or we won’t be here the next.

There is no time for doubts. No time for hate. No time for hanging on when it’s time to let go and letting go when it’s time to hang on. We get one shot at this world, one chance to do something good and right and true. That time isn’t later. It’s now.

Don’t think it’s never too late. Because sometimes it is.

(First published in the Staunton, VA News Leader)

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Comments

  • Anne L.B.

    We can’t wait to say “I love you” or “I’m sorry.”

    And so the time we have must be well spent, on what–on who–is most important.

    So I guess I'll get off the computer to go show and tell my little (and not so little) ones that I love them.
    .

  • Rick & Monique Elgersma

    Chances are you've already made a difference. Maybe you're just supposed to take a little time to enjoy it?

  • Warren Baldwin

    "Be very careful then how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity …" Eph. 5:15-16a.

    You post is a good commentary on this passage. Good job, Billy.

  • Bridget Chumbley

    Don’t think it’s never too late. Because sometimes it is…
    I love this. There are NO guarantees! Thanks for the reminder.

    You are making a difference :)

  • T. Anne

    I see you are cursed with knowledge ;) I used to teach a class on faith (to middle graders) and I started out with the story I once heard; the birth of a baby. The doctor turns to the mother and says 'I'm sorry he's terminal.' The mother replies 'how long does he have?"
    The doctor answers, 'Maybe eighty, ninety years if he's lucky.'

    SO true, our days are numbered. Our home is much better than the inn we're at now. Can't wait to get there.

  • FaithBarista Bonnie

    I see what you mean, Billy, (from this post) when you say your writing is immersed with a Christian viewpoint.

    Some days I feel old and some days I feel young. It's a sober reminder, either way I feel – I gotta live like there's no tomorrow, 'cuz today cold be it.

  • Denise

    Such truth, and much wisdom spoken here my friend.

  • ~*Michelle*~

    "Life fools us into thinking it is this hulking, indestructible beast, when it’s really as fragile as a porcelain figurine . It is holy and sacred and fleeting and never guaranteed."

    SPEAK it! I have lost some friends in the past few years that either just didn't wake up on morning or woke up thinking it was just another day and little did they (or anyone else) know, it would be their last on this earth. I often wondered how they might have even changed their last days.
    Def. made me realize not to sweat the small stuff so much.

  • April

    I've learned the hard way that life waits for no one. You simply can't take a day you've been blessed to share with those you love and care about for granted…it could all be gone in the blink of an eye.

  • Blessed Mom of 8

    I love this post Billy!

    Faith – hope – love!

    All spelled out with grace!

    Don't waste a moment or spend your time as a fool – you can't have them back to change!

    Seeing the sacred in the little things lately and rejoicing in how much love is around me each day!

    Blessings friend!
    Jill

  • Janet Oberholtzer

    Hi Billy,
    I've been reading your site for a few weeks now – great stuff! Looking forward to the book.

    Great post – looks like I'm not the only one that has time on my mind recently.

    Haven't done the quiz to find my death date, don't think I will. I live with an 'almost death' date. Medically speaking, May 20, 2004 should have been my last day on earth (accident with massive injuries) but praise God miracles still happen! (though I wasn't always saying that during the horrific recovery)

    Pre-accident, death didn't scare me, but I hardly ever thought about. Now I think about it more but I'm not scared of it. My memory of the first days post-accident is blurred, but I remember feeling total peace. So death is peaceful to me.
    The question in my head now is – what do I do with my time, this 'extra' time I've been given here?

    Thanks for these thoughts to ponder – especially like this line, "No time for hanging on when it’s time to let go and letting go when it’s time to hang on."

    Also, I love the full moon, if I live to be in my 90's (both grandmothers did) then I have about 600 more full moons to observe, so I try not to miss any.

  • sherri

    I want to die at 101, sipping raspberry tea, enjoying a fine piece of chocolate, wearing my stilettos while surrounded by my many children and grandchildren while holding Big Al's hand, and listening to Eva Cassidy's OVER THE RAINBOW.

    I love my peeps like there's no tomorrow! I've lost too many of them- it's made me wise to that.

  • Candace Jean July 16

    Thank you for the kind and gentle nudge, Billy.

  • Nitewrit

    Billy,

    Man, if I had to 2055 what would I be but a notation in some oldest person report cause I'd be 114. I wonder if I'd still be thinking, "I got pleanty of time to do it tomorrow." Time was created by God, a gave us a little here.

    4 "Show me, O LORD, my life's end
    and the number of my days;
    let me know how fleeting is my life.

    5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
    the span of my years is as nothing before you.
    Each man's life is but a breath.
    Selah

    6 Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro:
    He bustles about, but only in vain;
    he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.

    7 "But now, Lord, what do I look for?
    My hope is in you. (Psalm 39)

    Good post as usual.

    Larry E.

  • Kelly Combs

    My best friends dad died this week, unexpectedly, making me realize that I could be 90, or 70, or 45 when I go. I pray I leave a legacy my family will be proud.

    But like the pastor said at the funeral yesterday, "you can't bring them back. But you CAN make sure you go where they are going." I know where I'm going, and I'll be waiting to see or joining my loved ones there.

  • Joanne Sher

    LOVE this one. Am I imagining things, or have I read it before?

    Such an important message for all of us. We have NO idea how much time we have – so every minute needs to count: for God.

  • LauraLee Shaw

    Saw Jo's tweet. Now is the time of God's favor. I will not allow my heart to be hardened, and I will beg God to help me see what's important. Powerful post.

  • Wendy @ All in a Day’s Thought

    I took a quiz like that and I believe I'm going to live to be 83 also. :D

    Wonderful post. I believe in making my life count. I can tell you do also. Thank God for that and I'll take this moment to thank you for what you write.

    ~ Wendy

  • katdish

    You know, you're right. We need to plan for a future to a certain extent, but we need to live for today, because you just never know how long God intends to keep you here. Why, I could be sitting here typing this comment and never fini

  • lynnrush

    So true, Billy. Thanks for the reminder.

  • Andrea

    Time is rushing past us. I do not know why we think we have plenty of it.
    This is an awesome post. THANK YOU!
    Blessings, andrea

    PS: Please visit my friend at: http://seaglassreflections.blogspot.com and read the post, "Please Help." She is in desperate need of prayers, encouragement, and verses to help her through this time. THANK YOU!

  • lori

    The older we get, the more we realize that time is running out no matter how you slice it….

    no time to waste…

    peace billy,

    lori

  • Helen

    That's one of the things I remember about 9/11. Every last person treating every single person in traffic like they were valuable because today could be their (and our) last day. That lasted for what, a couple of weeks….
    I wish we would commemorate 9/11 by treated eachother through out our country with the same kindness and fragility we did on that horrific day.

  • Mich

    Great words of wisdom. We never know…

    thank for this reminder, that we always need to "take care of business" today.

  • Jeanne Damoff

    GAAAHHH! What am I doing reading blogs? The clock is ticking. I need to go LIVE . . .

    (Love this. As always.)

  • Terri Tiffany

    Excellent post again. Makes me think I need to be doing some things I'm not.

  • Heather Sunseri

    I think I'm going to go hug my children who are playing Star Wars Monopoly instead of reading the rest of my unread blogs. I'm glad I read this one before I made that decision. Wait, this blog was the reason I made that decision. Thanks. As always, your writing inpires me!

  • Shanda

    "It is holy and sacred and fleeting and never guaranteed. Believing otherwise is not only dangerous to us, it’s dangerous to how we live."

    You nailed it again. Every moment is precious!

  • ~Brenda

    All I have to say is Amen, and Amen.

    ~Brenda

  • KM Wilsher

    Wow. That encourged me! Great BC!

  • THE BIBLE LOVER

    Good reflection, anyday! Tks

  • Jamey

    One thing I have learned about life is that it waits for no one.

  • Diane

    Great post. Perspective we don't usually think about or what to see as a reality.

  • sherri

    Is katdish OKAY? She didn't finish that sentence! I'm worried now.

  • ForHisGlory

    Though your post severly depressed me it also made a big impression on me. I have been whittling away my days being lazy and fruitless. Missing out on my kids growing and discovering this vast world. Not following my own dream of being a writer. Instead I waste my time with meaningless activities. You have given me the motivation I need to get up and live. Thank you.