A Wake-up Call

I had other plans for this blog post, but they quickly changed when I found out that somebody I had known died very suddenly and tragically, and you are going to hear my thoughts on it, because I couldn’t get it off my brain long enough to finish what I had started to write. I have always tried to keep in mind that I don’t know when God will call me Home, but this incident made it very real to me and clearly showed me a few things I’ve been neglecting.

Even though I’d known her since I was seven years old, I never knew her very well; but what got to me at first is that she was ten days older than I am. As I lay in bed that night trying to sleep, I couldn’t stop thinking about the situation; then as my mind wandered, I thought, what if something like that happened to me? That would – literally – be the best thing! I have been so incredibly blessed in my life on this earth, but I really can’t wait to meet my Savior and see my friends and family who are there. It was at this point in my thought process that my heart really broke for this girl and her family. Because I have accepted Jesus’ sacrifice as the only payment that can cover the cost of my sin, I have my ticket to spend eternity in the presence of a sinless and righteous God, so I know where I am going; but my friend and her family don’t have that same assurance. But really, their situation is no different than the majority of the people on this planet, and this incident was nothing short of a wake up call to me to live like I have been saved from sin and death. God gave me the gift of eternity with Him and a mission to tell the world about it; should I accept one and not the other?