by Tammy Phillips
November 11, 2024
“LORD, make me aware of my end and the number of my days, so that I will know how short-lived I am. In fact, you have made my days just inches long, and my life span is as nothing to you. (Psa 39:4-5 CSB)
I have lived on earth 59 years, 713 months, 3102 weeks, 21,715 days, 521,142 hours, 31,268,520 minutes, and a whole lot of seconds. I was recently reminded of how very important every day is. It is a gift of God not to be wasted. You cannot relive the last second.
“We often count the years of our lives, but not the days. Why? Because when we think we have years ahead of us, we’re tempted to waste the days. But the truth is, everyday counts.”- Christine Caine
The word of God says in James 4:13-15, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.’ 14 Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring — what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes. 15 Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
It has been 1,826 days since my friend, Stephanie Tharpe who I affectionately call Sparkle, tragically lost her son, Brandon. It has been 1,826 days since Holy Spirit instructed me to keep the word of God before her daily for one year to encourage her. It has also been 1826 days since I told God, “I hate going to funerals because I never know what to say to a person who has lost a loved one. How can I encourage Sparkle? You chose the wrong person.” Honestly, I do not know why I agreed to His assignment except that it was what He called me to do. I was even ever so bold as to say to God, “If you do not give me something to say, I am not saying anything!”
I became very aware of my days. Every day, I awoke to the assignment to encourage my friend. It seemed and impossible task for me. Day by day, I wrote to her. I give God all the glory. I can do all things through Him and nothing without Him. As my assignment continued, more and more people I knew lost children too soon. To date I know of at least twenty-five families whose children’s days were cut short. When CoVid-19 hit, I asked Sparkle if I could share her encouragements in a blog to reach and encourage others. She agreed. I wrote daily for over two years. I would like to give God the glory. I would also like to honor Brandon, Stephanie (and Leonard) and every family who I know that lost a family member early in their life. Sadly, Brandon’s passing birthed the writer in me and as a consequence of his days ending too soon, the word of God has reached over sixty thousand people in one hundred and five nations across four continents. TO GOD BE THE GLORY.
I wish I could say I have lived every day to the fullest, bringing glory to God. I would be lying. Life happened. Like you, I have been on the rollercoaster of a journey with its many ups and downs. I began to look at my life again in the context of years, instead of the precious seconds we are given to breathe in and out. Thankfully, on Brandon’s memorial day, Holy Spirit brought this word to mind:
Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts (Psalm 90:12, CSB).
I enCOURAGE you to make today count. Do not waste one more minute. Do not live in the prison of yesterday’s guilts, sins, and regrets. Step into the freedom of this second that Jesus and our veterans paid for. We remember them on this day, too. Do not waste a day, nor a moment. Breathe in the salvation of today in Jesus. Experience the day. Make a difference. Live life to the fullest because we are not guaranteed the next second. Choose today. Choose life! Choose love. You do not know what tomorrow will bring nor what your life will be.
I would also like to encourage you with this story of another family friend who lost her daughter too soon! (Click the link below to hear the redemption story)
Complete in Him 