Afterwards!

The following arrived in my Inbox, last week. This is a translation of the original French, and required some modification, but I hope that it gets the main idea across! It doesn't just apply to the 'oldies' among us. Even the younger folk may benefit from reading - and applying - it.

« The day has barely started and ... it is already six in the evening.

Monday has barely arrived ... and it's already Friday ... and the month is already over ... and the year is almost over ... and already 40, 50 or 70 years of our lives have passed ... and we realise that we have lost our parents, friends ... and we realise that it is too late to go back ... !!

So ... let's try anyway, to make the most of the time we have left ...

Let's not stop trying to participate in the activities that we like ...

Let's put some colour into our greyness.

Let’s smile at the little things in life that bring peace to our hearts.

And, despite everything, we must continue to take advantage of the time that remains to us with serenity. Let's try to eliminate the "after" ...

I will do it after ...

I will say something after ...

I'll think about it later ...

We leave everything for later as if "after" was ours.

Because what we do not understand is that:

afterwards, the coffee cools down ...

afterwards, the priorities change ...

afterwards, the spell is broken ...

after, health passes ...

afterwards, the children grow up ...

afterwards, the parents get old ...

afterwards, the promises are forgotten ...

afterwards, day becomes night ...

afterwards, life ends ...

And that "after" is often too late!

So ... let's leave nothing until after ...

Because by always waiting until after, we may lose 

the best moments,

the best experiences,

the best friends,

the best family!

The day is today ... The moment is now ...

Not one of us is at an age when we can afford to postpone what needs to be done right away until tomorrow.

Perhaps if you have read this post you will wish to share it.

Or maybe you will leave it for ... "after"!

And, then, you will never share it. »

All of that reminded me of a poem that I have also used when speaking about procrastination (putting off until 'tomorrow' what should have been done today). It reads like this:

‘Tomorrow’, he promised his conscience,
‘Tomorrow, I mean to believe.
Tomorrow, I'll think as I ought to,
Tomorrow, the Saviour receive.                                                                                                Tomorrow, I'll conquer the habits                                                                                                                That hold me from Heaven away.’                                                                                                                But ever his conscience repeated                                                                                                          One word, and one only – ‘Today!’

Tomorrow! Tomorrow! Tomorrow!
Thus, day after day, it went on.
Tomorrow! Tomorrow! Tomorrow!
’Til youth, like a vision, had gone;
’Til age, and his passions, had written
The message of fate on his brow;
And forth from the shadows came Death,
With the pitiless syllable, ‘Now!’”                      (Author unknown)

Paul wrote, very simply: "... we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain. For He says, "At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation." Behold, now is the acceptable time ; behold, now is the day of salvation." (II Cor. 6:1-3; emphases added).

While I was still teaching, I attended the funeral service of one of my pupils - a lad of about 16 years of age. Shortly after I retired, I attended the funeral service for a former pupil - a lad of about 18/19 years of age. Earlier this year, I was informed of the death of another former pupil - a young man of about 40 years of age. Death, sadly, is no respecter of age. For any one of us - including me - today may be our last day in the mortal bodies we currently inhabit.

This is why there is an urgency in the Gospel message. This life is not merely a 'rehearsal'. This is "it"! Those who die without the Lord Jesus as their personal Saviour, go to a lost eternity. It is only thse who are "in Him" who are assured eternal life in His presence. 

Don't leave it until "tomorrow", or "after". Do to now! If I may be of any help, please feel free to contact me by e-mail, at the address given at the top of the page.