Life is Short
This week I was reminded, yet again, how fragile and short life really is. On Friday morning, I received a call about a friend. I was told that my buddy was hit by a car the night before and was in the ICU at an area hospital. I rushed down to the floor and as I turned the corner to go to the waiting room, I saw a scene that could only be described by watching a movie. Standing there were 20-30 young twenty-year olds mourning their friend. As I peered through the crowd I noticed the mother and went to talk with her.
As time progressed that day, it became apparent that we were in for an emotional and heart-wrenching day. After battling for a little over 24 hours, my buddy had sustained too serious of injuries and left this world for the next. It has been an agonizing four days as I have seen a mother and father lose their child, a sister and brother lose their oldest sibling, and young people lose a second friend in as many days.
Yet even though these four days have been physcially, emotionally and relationally exhausting, my spirit is still up becuase there is one truth that permeates through this story. My friend knew the saving power and love of Jesus Christ. He had given his life to Christ and now he is suffering from no more injuries, no more pain, no more struggles with sin, no more need for the traps of this world. He is free and worshipping Christ, as I write this.
Whenever anyone, especially a 21 year-old, passes away, it should stand as a reminder that life is fleeting and extremely short. We don’t have time to wait until we are ready to accept Christ. We don’t have time, as Christ-followers, to wait to tell others the Gospel. The time is now. The place is here. May we live for Him today and forever.
Ernest