A few months ago, I felt like the scripture put your house in order from Isaiah 38 kept coming up. Finally, one day I went to a coffee shop and took the time to study that specific scripture. I learned that King Hezekiah was ill and about to die, so the prophet Isaiah told him, “Thus says Adonai: Put your house in order. For you are dying and will not live.” When Hezekiah got this news, he wept bitterly and said to God, “Please, Adonai, remember how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your eyes.” God gave him another 15 years to live. I am pretty sure 15 years was a reasonable amount of time to get certain things in his life in order.
As I thought about this scripture and have marinated the information before writing, many things came up for me. The truth is that it’s not easy for me to slow down because I like to check off my to-do list. It gives me a sense of accomplishment in life. But I know deep inside that there is more to life than my list. If I found out that I only had a certain amount of time to live, I know for a fact I wouldn’t worry so much about all the petty little things I have to do, but I would be more concerned about being present. I would pray more for my loved ones’ souls to be saved. I would listen for hours to my husband talk, ask more questions, and be fully available when he needed me. I would write out my heart to leave some tangible words for the world to read, and I would let my loved ones know how important and meaningful they genuinely are to me.
By the grace of God, from what I know of, I still have time to live. I am so grateful for God’s word because it’s a reality check to refocus on what is truly important in life.
Dayana Shiplett 