Shelburne column: Don't put things off past 'today' - do it while you can
Several times during the last Christmas season I saw news clips of folks ringing the hand bells over a Salvation Army kettle, and each time precious memories flashed into my head.
I’ve lost count of the number of times Bill Countiss and I rang the kettle bells together, but I think both of us look back at those days and thank God that we got to do that.
Today my aging legs won’t let me stand up anywhere for hours at a time, and I suspect that Bill’s aren’t much better. So we no longer volunteer for kettle duty, or for anything else that would put us on our feet for very long. But both of us agree that ringing those bells was fun while we could do it.
Several years ago when multiple obligations trapped me here in town most of the time, I encouraged my lady to leave me at home and go travel with her siblings. “Go while you can,” I told her. Together they explored a lot of this planet during those younger days, and, now that Nita can barely walk across our den, she realizes that it’s a good thing they took my advice.
“Do what you can while you can!” is advice all of us should heed. When we’re young and lithe, we can’t imagine what restrictions our ailing bodies may one day impose upon us.
When we have cash to burn, many of us can’t imagine trying to survive some day on Social Security alone. When our world is healthy and at peace, who could foresee the travel restrictions imposed by the sudden outbreak of Covid or of global war? We need to do what we can while we can.
Have you ever paid attention to how often Jesus used the word “today”? “I must stay at your house today.” “Today salvation has come to you.” “Give us today our daily bread.” “Go work today in the vineyard.” “Today you will be with me.” Not tomorrow. Not yesterday. Today. “Walk while you have the light,” Jesus tells us. It won’t last very long for any of us. Ring the bells, or read your Bible, or show love to your offspring, or tackle that project you’ve always dreamed of doing. Don’t put things off. For the day is coming — maybe sooner than you think — when you won’t be able to do any of this anymore. The Bible says “now” is the right time.
Gene Shelburne is pastor emeritus of the Anna Street Church of Christ, 2310 Anna Street, Amarillo, Texas. Contact him at GeneShel@aol.com, or get his books and magazines at www.christianappeal.com. His column has run on the Faith page for more than three decades.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Shelburne column: From traveling to volunteering, do it while you can
