By Bob Webb
Postal Carriers' State Chaplain

"Life is short; make the most of your time."  Francene with WHAS ends her program every day with this quote.  How true this is.  Sometimes I tell in my presentation about the Provident Guild that we all are going to die.  Some make light this, but you can read Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 which says, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.  A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot."

For some, the time to die is much shorter than for others.  We need to have our salvation in order so that when the time comes we will be ready to meet our Maker.  Saturday, Jane Dunlap drove home all day from the National Rural Carriers Convention by herself.  She got to bed late and was awaken about 3:00 am by a call telling her that her nephew's wife and 12 year old daughter were in a bad accident.  The mother was pronounced dead at the scene and the daughter was hurt real bad.  They are starting to operate on her today.  The boy in the other vehicle would have been a senior this year at our school.  He was air-lifted to University Hospital where he died the next morning.  This accident happened about 300 to 400 feet from where Jane's son, Doug, was killed three or four years ago.  That is why the Doug Dunlap memorial book fund was started.  This is to help a senior of a rural carrier's family buy books for college.  The auxiliary picks the student (sometimes even two are picked if there are enough funds).  They were able to award two this year.  I have the brother of the young man and the brother-in-law of Mrs. Dunlap on my route.

We also had a man that was buried the day I left for the National Convention that lost his life from either a bee or wasp sting.  I have his parents and his brother on my route.  One time I was on a run with Stan after a bee had stung him.  We picked him up at the doctor's office and the doctor rode with us to the hospital.  As an EMT, this was the only time I ever had a doctor to ride with us.  LIFE IS SHORT!  People that know us know that we lost our son 14 years ago.

I guess you wonder why I am telling you all of this bad news, but I am trying to get Francene's quote out to you.  LIFE IS SHORT and you need to make the most of your time.  We are taking her advice because if all goes as planned and the LORD sees fit to leave us here, we should be in Alaska on a cruise when you receive this article.  We had always said that we wanted to do this on our 50th wedding anniversary, but the opportunity came up at this time and we have no guarantee that either one of us will still be around or in good health by 2007 (which would be our 50th).

When I was much younger I lived life on the rough side and always thought that I would get things in order with the Lord on my death bed.  I saw both of my parents linger on with long illnesses.  I am glad that I woke up and realized that I might go like the ones I have mentioned.  The last 30 years have been the best of my life.  When you live for the Lord, you can do anything you want to, but your wants change.