Please Don’t Wait

Today, I received word that my good friend Sarah (Roegner) O’Dell passed away.

December of 2006, her husband, Aaron, invited me out to a birthday celebration for her. I couldn’t go because I was heading up our New Year’s Eve service at church. I promised to call and promptly forgot.

I kept meaning to call, but never did. Then I found out that she was diagnosed with leukemia. I brought her up for prayer every chance I could at church, reminding myself every chance I got to call. But things got busy and I never did.

I got an email from her parents about a month ago with her address, asking people to send birthday cards to help encourage her. I wrote up a card, but it sat here, waiting for me to buy a stamp to put on it and stick it in the mail. I got another email just a few days ago, saying that she was improving. Good, I thought, that will give me time to get this card out.

Then I received an email today that she had taken a turn for the worse and had passed away. All those thoughts, all those intentions, don’t mean very much at all right now. And what can I say now? I almost cared enough to let you know? My good friend Sarah is gone and she’ll never know I cared because I didn’t take the time when I had it to tell her so.

Just a reminder from someone who learned the hard way: Please don’t wait to tell someone that you care.