Only One Life
The year was 1942, and a young woman—just a girl at the time—walked the same hallway every day on her way to class. There, painted on the wall in simple letters, was a phrase she barely noticed at first:
“Only one life, and it’ll soon be passed.”
At the time, she didn’t think much of it. After all, life stretched out before her like an endless road. Summers felt never ending, and the idea of life passing quickly seemed like something really far-fetched. But time, as we all know, has a way of proving otherwise.
Now in her 80s, she told me her story, and it’s never left me.
“I thought I had all the time in the world,” she said. “But life is short. Very short. And it passes so quickly. What you do, you have written—you can’t change it.”
She paused; her eyes filled with tears at the weight of the years she had lived. Clearly, she had made many mistakes when she was younger. She was trying to hide her disappointment, but I could see it behind her eyes.
“What seemed like endless time when I was younger is now behind me. And I’ve learned that we really do have only one life to live. It’s one chance, one shot to make it count. There’s no going back, no second chances to do it all over again.”
“I used to think I’d have time to do my own thing first, and then later, I’d do God’s will if I wanted,” she admitted. “I thought if I followed Him, I might miss out on something. I didn’t want to have Him in my life. But you know what? I found out that the will of God is what makes you happy. It’s not something that takes away from you—it’s what gives you purpose. He is so gracious. He has a plan for everyone—one chance, one life. If you follow Him, He’ll guide you, protect you, and bless you.”
At this point I was captivated. I wanted to hear more how this woman had experienced God. What exactly in her life changed to make her want to follow Jesus?
“People say, ‘You can’t take it with you.’ But that’s simply not true,” she said, her voice steady and sure. “In the book of Revelation, it says, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord… their deeds will follow them.’ What you do for Christ, that’s what lasts. That’s what you take with you. Our deeds do indeed live on.”
She spoke about her children, her grandchildren, and memories of what really mattered to her. She had stories of past experiences where she felt the hand of God. It was inspiring. Then she concluded with this statement:
“It’s not about what you own. It’s about what you leave behind—the love you gave, the faith you lived. I don’t want to leave behind just memories. I want to leave behind something eternal, something that follows me.”
I asked her what she would say to someone who still thought they had all the time in the world.
She didn’t hesitate.
“Don’t wait. I’ve seen too many people who thought they had more time, but time ran out. They had plans, dreams, things they were ‘going to do someday’—but someday never came. Life goes by fast. And in the end, only what’s done for Christ will last.”
“When you stand before God, it won’t matter how much money you made, how many people knew your name, or what kind of house you lived in. The only thing that will matter is what you did for Him. And I promise you, nothing else will compare.”
I finished my tea and thanked her for her time, but as I walked away, her words stayed with me. They echoed in my mind like that phrase on the wall she had seen so many years ago—only one life, and it’ll soon be passed.
I couldn’t shake the weight of it. How often do we assume we have more time? More chances? More “somedays” to get things right? But life isn’t a rehearsal. We don’t get a second draft.
As I stepped outside, the cool air hit my face, and I found myself whispering a quiet prayer: “Lord, let me live for what truly lasts, help me and my family and friends live deeply in Your will. I love You Lord, thank you.”
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