Do It Now

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

Proverbs 27:1

Do you have a problem with procrastination—putting off until tomorrow what could be done today? It is not that there is no intention of doing the thing in question. It is just that we put it off. There is an English proverb which says, “Procrastination is the thief of time.”

One major problem with procrastination is that it does not take into consideration the uncertainty of life. I am still feeling sad that I missed saying goodbye to my long-time friend, Dianne. We had been friends since high school. Dianne was in a hospital a hundred miles from where I live. I was planning to go visit her, but I kept putting it off.

Finally, I made plans to go visit Dianne. She died the day before my visit was to be. I did not get to tell my friend goodbye or to give her a hug. If only I had gone to visit her earlier. I procrastinated.

I remember reading a true story a few years ago about a mother whose husband left her for another woman. She was left to raise four children alone. She worked two jobs, then had to go home to feed hungry children, do laundry, clean house, and help with homework. Her life was nothing but work.

The children grew up to be nice, productive adults. They didn’t make time to visit their mother very often. As the mother was dying in a hospital, her children gathered around her to say their goodbyes. They thanked her for working so hard and for providing for them alone. The mother said, “Oh, if I could have only heard those kind remarks when I was struggling so hard.” Her children procrastinated.

Is there someone you need to tell about Jesus and eternal life? Is there someone you need to visit? Do it now before it is too late.

Georgia Andrus