You just never know!
Our world was rocked this past week with the death of an 18 year old high school senior. Our sons were friends with this young man. And it turns out that I stood next to him for an entire half of a basketball game the night prior to his accident.
I’ve reflected back on those few minutes. Both of us stood silently watching the game. I left the stands due to crowding, coughing and very hard bleachers. He came in late and didn’t move any closer than the entry way to the gym. We didn’t speak. Neither of us cheered or said anything at all. We just watched the game. Little did either of us realize that he was just a few hours away from being in heaven.
It’s difficult enough when someone we know has a prolonged sickness and dies. It’s even more difficult when someone our own age dies suddenly. But it’s extremely difficult when someone like this young man dies. He was so young. He was just getting started with life. He had so much to look forward to. But you just never know.
Fortunately, he knew Christ as his Savior. We have a great confidence that he is in heaven today. He’s not looking back, not wishing he could go back and live the rest of his life out and not moaning about anything he might have missed out on here on earth. He is in heaven. He sees Jesus face to face. No more questions. No more fears. No more concerns about what to do with his life. No more worries about fitting in. He is in heaven.
I wonder how many other people I have stood silently beside when perhaps I should have engaged them in conversation. This time I stood beside someone who was prepared. But what about the next one and the one after that. You just never know, do you?
Always In Pursuit!
2 comments:
Wow the first thing that comes to my mind is an old "Jackson 5" song titled "Never Can say Goodbye."
In retrospect we can always see opportunity for improvement. Nevertheless to think this young man graced you with his final physical presence and you both enjoyed a game in your own ways. Imagine if he had told you out of the blue Don this is the end for me!What would you have done or anyone for that matter. When I Think about this young man choices he had to make on this day and the days leading up to this event, all the people he said no to only to spend a nice quiet evening with a mighty man of Valor. Wow to know one of the last images he saw was you a child of God! Pictures really do speak louder than words.
-Fidel
Challenging post -- something we all need to think about. This past week, Bill Wenig watched a man collapse and his heart stop during a basketball game. He told me of the helplessness he felt, not knowing how to administer CPR. The next thought was, how many believers don't know how to lead someone to Christ -- to perform spiritual CPR. We need to be always ready. Thanks for the challenge!
Gary Pilcher
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