learning from a killer

I had a brief discussion with a friend yesterday. He is suffering from Leukemia. Is it getting the better of him, but he is clearly becoming better at some things through this process.

I was stuck by his poignancy when he talked about how he now realizes that all the things he worked so hard for, for so many years – houses, property, cars… mean nothing. He cares desperately for his family right now. He wants to see his kids one more time.

His quote nailed me: “I hate the disease but I love what it has done for my perspective.”

We briefly talked about the wrongness of human nature to emphasize temporary stuff. I learned a lot in our few minutes together.

What is shaping your outlook today? Do you have a view of eternity or are you still caught up in the stuff that’s all going away?

Let’s not wait for a killer disease to be our teacher.