Last week I shared with you what we did the first week of our recent vacation, which was spent in Tennessee with our daughter and her three sons. We stayed at a resort which had an indoor/outdoor water park…so that, along with a place nearby which had lots of amusement park type rides…kept us very busy.
We made the arrangements for that trip quite a few months ago and had planned to return home at the end of the week. That is, until our granddaughter from North Carolina contacted us and asked if there was any way possible we could come to her graduation. She told us the date was June 14th which was the Wednesday after our trip. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. Since we would already be in Tennessee, we could just leave from there and go to our other daughter’s home. That gave us a few days to spend with them before the much-awaited graduation.
We had a great first week and woke up on Friday, ready to pack up the car to head to North Carolina. As we were getting ready, a text came in from our daughter informing us that our granddaughter’s boyfriend (who was also graduating this year), along with a 16-year-old friend, had died in a car accident the night before. We couldn’t believe it. Two young men with their whole life in front of them, taken in an instant.
Life doesn’t always go as planned, does it. It doesn’t always follow our neat and tidy arrangements. James 4:13-16 tells us, “Look here you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.’ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog – It’s here and a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that. Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans and all such boasting is evil.’” Of course we have to make plans, but there are times when those plans are turned upside down…and we are left reeling.
In an instant…we are reminded that life, as this scripture says, is like the morning fog…it’s here a little while and then gone and none of us are promised tomorrow. Yet, how often do we live as if our final day on this earth will never come? We live as if we have all the time in the world to make things right with those around us. Oh, we plan to reconcile with estranged family members…but just not now. We also plan to make things right with God…to accept Him as our Lord and Savior…but just not now. We have other things we want to do today…so we put those decisions on the back burner until we’ve done everything that we want to do.
Friend, I hope you and I have many more days on this earth…but the truth of the matter is that we may not. I hate to be the bearer of bad news on this Monday morning…but we may never get to do everything that we have so meticulously planned, because in an instant, we might be taken. In an instant, we could be standing before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and the opportunity to make things right, will be gone.
I have no idea what your plans are for tomorrow…but if I may suggest something for today…make a point to set things right. Do you have family or friends who you aren’t speaking to? Make it right with them today. Don’t delay. Make the first move and be willing to reconcile. Life is too short to spend it apart from those we love.
If you are waiting to accept Christ…I want to urge you to not wait any longer. What is holding you back? Christ died on the cross and rose again….for YOU! He loves you that much and wants to walk with you on your life journey. Honestly, I can’t imagine going through my life without Jesus by my side.
All you need to do is ask Him to forgive you of your sins and He will make you clean. Then, when in an instant you are taken from this earth and stand before His throne…you will get to spend eternity with Him. Trust me…it’s a win-win!
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