Finite Time

From an interview with Michael Douglas on The Today Show … “It's been a wild six-month ride," Douglas said in his first television interview since undergoing cancer treatment. The experience left him with an appreciation of finite time, he said. "It's put a timeline on my life," he said. "I'm 66 now. You know, I'm fortunate I've got a mother who's 88 … my father's 94. So, you know, I feel good about those genes. But it's definitely a third act. And so you're a little more conscious of your time and how you choose to spend it."

As cancer put his life in jeopardy, he developed a new regard for family and friends. "All of a sudden the affection from my family, from my friends, and from my fans hit me at a much deeper level than I would have ever imagined before," Douglas said. "And it gave me a really new appreciation of just how valuable, how precious good friends are and family. And it's not that I disregarded them before but there's a much deeper feeling. I've talked to other cancer survivors about this ... that you just really, really appreciate what's important in life," he said.

That concept of finite time looks us in the face every day, not only when a crisis strikes. It’s why we are taught to make the most of each day. But we don’t always listen or realize what that means.

Finite time is the limit God puts on our lives, though unknown to us. Only he knows the limit, the edge of our own personal clock. And that makes every single day a measure of finiteness that we control. I pray that I realize that every day … that I know I can make every day a success in His eyes.

Life expectancy is now at 78.24 years in the US … for me, that means my finite time may end in just 20 years. Or in the next day. Regardless, I know that finite time will define my legacy and yours. That is enough reason to make every day, and every minute, count.