Death. It's something we all know exists, and yet at times it seems to be so very distant from our lives and the last thing on our minds. But sometimes it comes unexpectadly. Last night it came to a 43 y.o. mother-of-three after a firework show in Valencia. She was struck by a run-away car only a half mile from where I was celebrating the 4th with my family and friends. Before I drifted off to sleep that night I thought, "what if that had been me?" Then this morning, in addition to thinking about the death of last night, I discovered news that the authors of "Do Hard Things" and the Rebelution Blog lost their mother to cancer yesterday.
Although both of these deaths were in God's perfect timing, they are both "premature" according to human expectations. At this point in my life I often think in terms of years down the road and what I want to do. But these events have caused me to stop and ponder, what if today was my last day on earth? What if my God-ordained days are shorter than I expect, am I living the way I need to live now? What if someone close to me is living their last day?
Thinking through these things puts life in a new perspective. Motivations for holding personal grudges, being depressed or angry, or constantly stressing over plans shrink in light of the brevity of life and the reality of eterenity. Although life can be challenging and heart-breaking, as well as glorious and fun, we may never know that any particular day is our last one before we are called Home. This perspective calls us to live every moment in obedience to our Savior and to glorify Him in any circumstance big or small, because that is how we achieve a successful life. It likewise puts possessions and materialism in their place and brings to focus the importance of investing in people around us as we share the Gospel with the world and build up fellow believers. People after all, are the only created ones on this earth that will last forever.
Ultimately, it reminds us that God is indeed sovereign over our lives and we need not be anxious about anything, not even tomorrow. Even if His perfect plan means calling some of us home earlier than we expect, we know that as we purpose to cherish His grace, walk in obedience, and live for His glory our lives will not be wasted - no matter when He calls us home.
