Serving the World through the Study of Scripture!
Thanks For Living
“I thought I was going to die.” My friend was seated in a recliner next to me. Were it not for the clear plastic tubing sticking out of his arm, the nearby hospital bed, and the smell of antiseptic foam, he might have been talking about a close call years ago. He wasn’t. He was enduring the kind of health scare you can’t easily exhale.
“So what goes through your mind when you think you’re going to die?” I probed. “The usual,” he answered. “Who’s going to take care of my family? Who’s going to replace the water heater when it dies?” He grunted at his own irony, and then continued. “My wife’s smart, but not like that.” He paused, I think deciding how open to be. “Financially, they’ll be fine. Heck, they’ll be better off. Maybe they’d be better off in other ways too,” he concluded with a smirk.
Our conversation turned to spiritual matters and he assured me, “I’m not afraid to die. I know where I’m going.” The smirk returned and he added, “I don’t want it to be today, mind you!” At peace with His God, he began talking about his family again.
It’s a trite adage, but true, that on your death bed, you’ll never wish you’d worked more hours. It’s the people at the end of that bed who matter most. Even Jesus took time from the cross, in His dying moments, to provide for His mother.
Coming a scant four days before Thanksgiving, it was a good reminder of what is really important. We talked for thirty minutes and my friend didn’t once bring up work or the bills or the boss he hates or any of the things most of us spend 51 weeks of the year complaining about. Too often, it is only this time of year, or a crisis, that coaxes us into the blessing of “Count Your Blessings.” I was encouraged to not only count them, but to remember which ones count.
It was a strong reminder for me, of another truth: in a relatively short amount of time, the things eating my lunch right now won’t matter. Probably even a year from now, the events that make my acid reflux commercial-worthy, and steal my sleep, won’t matter. So I need to spare my family and friends the drama of it mattering now.
Paul says the kingdom is a matter of “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." If we will serve Christ in those ways, Paul promises we will be “pleasing to God and approved by men” (Rom. 14:17-18.) His words seem a worthy goal, something that will bring fulfillment to the people who matter most and something that will have my God smiling with joy when I enter His kingdom.
Thanksgiving is a great opportunity not just to be reminded of the things we should be thankful for, but to reset our priorities. If we can, many of our worries will dissipate like the fog they are.
Walk WITH Jesus,
Jim
Article submitted Wednesday, November 23, 2011 & read 238 times.
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