A woman in Florida had a malignant tumor in her face. Her physician told her the only available treatments would cause much pain and some disfigurement. The treatments did not offer a cure, but they would probably buy her more time. She listened and then said, “No thanks, Doctor, I’m not going to take the treatments.” Somewhat alarmed, he said, “Look, if you don’t take the treatments, you are going to die.” With an angelic smile and a steady faith, she replied, “Doctor, I didn’t come here to stay.”
All of us are transients on this earth—some here for 90 years, some for 50, and some for less than a year. This life is just a prelude to the main event. That does not mean this life is unimportant; it just means the most important thing one can do on earth is to make reservations for eternity.
There is something quietly powerful about the words, “Doctor, I didn’t come here to stay.” They are not words of despair, but of deep assurance. They remind us that while we work, build, love, and labor here, we were never meant to cling to this world as our permanent address. Scripture calls us sojourners and pilgrims, and this story puts flesh on that truth. Life is precious—every conversation, every prayer, every act of kindness matters—but it is not ultimate. When we remember that this life is a prelude to the main event, we begin to live differently. We loosen our grip on temporary things and tighten our hold on eternal ones.
Yet this perspective does not make us passive; it makes us purposeful. If our days here are preparation, then every moment becomes sacred ground. We forgive more quickly. We love more generously. We serve more boldly. We walk through suffering with a steadier faith because we know the story does not end here. To “make reservations for eternity” is not merely about a future hope; it is about a present transformation. It is about trusting Christ fully, living faithfully, and remembering that our true home is secure in Him. And that assurance gives us both courage for today and confidence for forever.
In Christ,
James