Time that is left

Over the weekend, I was reminded of an experience that happened to a friend of mine. I will keep much of the details and the identity of the individual private, because this is not his website, but I want to talk about it because it was a big part of my life and learning.

Five years ago, my friend was in a serious car accident. He was in ICU for five weeks, as I remember it, and in various hospitals after that for almost five months. He and I were very close, and I was terrified about his condition. I was so scared for him that in the first week after the accident, I didn’t sleep for four nights in a row and I lost 15 lbs. I’m amazed I didn’t fail my classes. Every year I remember his accident both on its actual anniversary and on the day of the Super Bowl. His accident happened the night before Super Bowl Sunday, the same day I was in a regional honor band and orchestra performance. I’ll never forget when our two friends who were driving behind him came over to my house once he was in the hospital, both terribly shaken, one covered in our friend’s blood. The next morning I commandeered my mom’s cell phone for updates during the concert (I didn’t have a phone) and spent the rest of the day in the waiting room at the hospital with the Super Bowl airing on the TVs. The doctors and nurses almost wouldn’t let my friends and me see him because we weren’t family, but we finally were allowed in there two at a time. My heart dropped into my stomach upon seeing him comatose, all scratched up with tubes sticking out all over the place, including out of the top of his head. I spent so much time at the hospital with him over those months that I still shudder a bit at the memories any time I go into a hospital now. But the Lord wanted him to stick around, so my friend made it. It has been a long, painful process for him as he continues to progress. Not only did the accident change his life but it strongly affected mine as well.

This friend and I have drifted apart over the years, and although we don’t keep in close contact we are still good friends. I can still remember like it was yesterday how close we were and how scared I was that he wouldn’t make it. I do not have constant reminders of the accident like he does, yet I have learned from it all the same. I’ve learned to be grateful for my body, no matter how I may be displeased with it at times. I’ve learned to be grateful that the Lord knows what each of us can handle in our lives, and He will push us to that limit so that we can grow, but not over it because He wants us to succeed. My friend has always had a strong spirit, and his accident made him stronger. I’ve also learned that it is vitally important that we always make sure that those we love know that we love them. I know I need to work on that, but I never forget to tell friends and family that I love them when I know I won’t see them for a while.

My friend’s accident also taught me to appreciate the gifts that I have and the ability I have to use them. My friend is a wonderful musician, but now has great difficulty playing musical instruments. I am a gifted musician, yet I don’t play or sing much at all…mostly because I’m a busy graduate student, but that’s really no excuse. God gave me a gift, and I’ve been neglecting it lately. How can I, when I am able and my friend and others are not? It’s not right. I think the most important lesson I learned from my friend’s accident is that this mortal life really is fleeting. God has a plan for each and every one of us, and He wants us to fulfill that plan. We only have a few years to do so, and if we don’t stick to it we could lose our opportunity forever. There is no such guarantee as “I can always do it later,” because later may not come. Now really is all we have. What are we doing with the time that is given us? One of my favorite EFY songs asks this of us. I need to think long and carefully about my answer.

What will you do with the time that’s left?

Will you live it all with no regret?

Will they say that you loved ’til your final breath?

What will you do with the time?