There have been several deaths here recently that have rocked the Belizean community. One event last week was a helicopter crash that took the lives of four Belizean soldiers; this only a month after the world mourned for Kobe Bryant, his daughter and friends in another helicopter crash.
Closer to home for me is my dear friend, Pastor Timo, who has been on death's door for months. I visit whenever I am able to go to the village and pray with him. He mostly doesn't speak; the pain is too great. He cannot walk and doesn't eat. It hurts to visit. It hurts to see him and it hurts to know that I cannot change anything. For the four soldiers, death came in an instant. For Pastor Timo, death has stayed just beyond reach; just on the other side of his suffering.
A good friend of ours here, Sarita, has been to three funerals in the last month. Then, last week, her mom was shot in the head in a random shooting. Her mom survived, but has a long recovery ahead of her. Eddie and I are supporting Sarita and her family as much as they have allowed us to. We can't imagine walking the path that they suddenly find themselves on.
Psalm 90: 12 says "So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
These things, along with news about the Corona Virus outbreak, have stirred me to number my days. I don't know how long I will live. I may live to be a centenarian or not live past this week. I can't control the spread of viruses or the path of a stray bullet. All I can control is how I spend the time I have, while I have it.
More likely than not, you and I have many more years to spend in life. Plenty of time to make decisions and change our minds. Time to make relationships and invest in them. Time to take a chance and start again. Life is usually long, afterall. I probably still have more days ahead of me than those behind. So, while I will number my days and check in with myself on how I am spending them, I won't let the fear of less days steal the joy of today.