My brother Stew has shared a thought provoking guest post today….

As I’m sitting and writing on May 13, my mind is going back to three weeks and two days ago.  I don’t know about your family, but my dad’s side of the family will get together for family reunions and lunch on Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

There’s always too much delicious food and the conversations and catching-up with family are enjoyable.

Three weeks and two days ago was another Easter family reunion in Fort Worth.  It was a smaller crowd than the typical 40-50 people that usually attend.  But, there was still plenty of food to eat and people to talk with.

I remember having a conversation with one of the cousins, Jan.  She’s a kindergarten teacher, wife, mother of two boys and a person with a good and honest heart.

We talked about school, the TV news business, recent camping adventures (Jan and her husband Garry love to camp) and my recent trip to Arizona for spring training baseball and golf.

We also talked about Garry’s recent health scare where he collapsed at school and had a sudden heart attack.  The family prayer included thanksgiving that Garry was back with us and recovering.

Three weeks and two days after that conversation, the family was gathered around a burial plot in Arlington.  Jan had collapsed, fallen into a coma and died just a few days after Easter.   There were no signs at the Easter gathering of any health issues or distress.  There was no warning that this would be the last time that we would enjoy a conversation about our life adventures.

I’m sure we’ve all heard similar stories or, perhaps, we’ve been thrust into that type of situation.  It’s always a shock, of course.

As I’ve reflected on the past few days, my mind goes back to three words: “make it count”.  Jan was a kindergarten teacher and responsible for setting the course for a child’s public school education.  She made her time with children count.

Psalm 39:4, “O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am”.  What a great reminder about the guarantee that life isn’t as long as we might think it will be.

Psalm 90:12 is a plea we should make every day as we grow and mature.  “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

Make it count.  In our conversations with family, friends, co-workers, classmates and strangers.  Make it count.  In our actions and how we treat people.  Do people see the love of Christ in us?
Make it count.  In our responsibility as a Christian and teaching others about God.

You can download Week 20 of our Dinnertime Devotionals series here – Dinnertime Devotionals 20