Twenty-four Hours
A young man had been ill for a long time. Because of his health he had lost his job as well as his money. Since no physician had been able to figure out what was wrong with him, Rob saw little hope for his future. In a last attempt to find a cure, he went to a new specialist who performed additional laboratory tests. He also redid some old tests. After all, mistakes do happen, even in laboratories.
But Rob had lost his optimism. “Just one more useless opinion,” he muttered under his breath to a friend. “You know he’s not going to come up with anything new!”
That night Rob gave up. He killed himself. Twelve hours later the physician called with the test results. Rob had a disease which untreated would leave him incapacitated. Treated – he could live a normal life.
“May I talk to Rob,” the physician asked. “I have great news for him.”
There was a long silence. A choked-up voice on the other end of the phone said: “Rob died last night. He killed himself.”
Less than twenty-four hours would have made the difference. A caring physician who took time to double check his results came up with the answer. Life is too precious to ever give up. No one should have to.
The late Catherine Marshall, wife of Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall, once said that she believed that most people who commit suicide would not do so if they just waited for twenty-four hours. Time heals. Time gives us a chance to put things into perspective. Time gives us opportunity to reach out for help. Time gives us a chance to value what we are about to give up.
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“There is a time, we know not when,
A point we know not where,
That marks the destiny of men,
For glory or despair.”
— Joseph Addison
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For more of Elizabeth Skoglund’s writing, please visit her Books page.