Last week, I briefly visited my alma mater – Rice University! I didn’t have too much time to take photos (and of course, it was very humid, so my available picture-taking time was rapidly diminished), but I did have a short jaunt to a couple of my favorite places on campus. At least, on the north side of campus.
It’s a special day for me to talk about Rice, as the memorial service for one of the students at my residential college there (Brown) is taking place today in Dallas. This student, who unexpectedly and tragically passed on Monday, was one of the few people I knew of at Rice who could bridge gaps and truly make friends with anyone he met. He was an enthusiastic photographer, and I often caught up on Rice or Brown events by looking through his photos. I only knew him as an acquaintance, so my heart goes out to his family and friends who had grown to know and love him deeply.The suddenness of his passing got me thinking about a phrase that comes up a lot in these situations: “Live like it’s your last day.” But what does that really mean? And if we knew it would be our last day on this earth, would we really change what we do in our day to day lives? For most, probably not.
We live, we plan, we set up appointments as if each day or week is promised to us. Of course, it’s a good habit to plan for the future and manage our daily time, but truly, this past week has been a humbling reminder that the next day, even the next hour, isn’t promised to us. I wonder what we’d do differently if it were our last day on earth.
I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. – Philippians 3: 14 (NLT)