The Time is Now

On July 23rd back in 2006, I attended a concert in Birmingham on a Sunday night which most likely wasn't the greatest of ideas given I had to be at work early the next morning. The concert lasted a little bit longer than expected which meant for an even later evening getting back home; at least I had the company of my friend Megan with me. Heading down I-65 South around midnight, I was hit from behind while driving approximately 75 mph. Naturally, my reaction was to hit the breaks which (make note) is apparently the worst possible idea. As I hit the break, my car began to spin out and spin towards the shoulder of the interstate. My breaks eventually caught but at the speed I was going and the momentum of spinning out carrying me in another direction, the next move for the car to take was to begin rolling. A trucker that witnessed the accident estimated that the car flipped 3-5 times before we eventually came to a stop in the woods off of the interstate.

As we came to a stop, all windows had been blown out of the car, the car battery had been thrown about 10 yards away from where my car came to rest, the front bumper was laying on the ground next to the driver's side door, and for a little humor, some boxers that I had in a duffle bag from the weekend were hanging 20 feet high in a tree above the car. The trucker that witnessed the accident came running to the car and when Megan responded that her foot was hurting, I clearly remember the trucker saying, "Darling, if you could see what you just went through, you are fortunate your foot is the worst thing hurting you right now." Though obviously severely banged up, Megan and I were both very alert and just ready to get out of the vehicle which we were now pinned inside. The fire department had to come to pop the doors off and pull us from the vehicle and from there, I walked away with nothing more than several scratches, mostly above my left knee, and the typical bumps and bruises.

What if something worse would have happened that night? As the witness seemed to describe it, something worse should have happened.

None of us know when our time here on earth will end. I can't even guarantee that I will finish this blog. In James 4:14, he writes, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." The problem with this is that we live our lives as if we are invincible, as if we are guaranteed a tomorrow.

To be honest, had the worst happened that summer night, I would not be spending eternity with my Heavenly Father. My years of living as a "Sunday Christian" just wouldn't have cut it for me. Knowing that there are no guarantees for tomorrow, the scariest thought that could cross my mind is not spending eternity in heaven. And I can't thank God enough for the second chance he has given me.

Guys and girls, we don't need to hesitate to have that loving relationship with our Lord. We have to seize that opportunity immediately. As I titled this post, the time is now.

Many of you may have heard the song "In Christ Alone". Two of the lines from the song say, "No guilt of life, no fear in death...This is the power of Christ in me." What perfect words to live by. We should not fear death if we have the relationship with God that is necessary to spend eternity with him. If my time were to end today, tomorrow, or 50 years from now, I know where I will be heading.

The movie "The Bucket List" opens with the following narration:

"Edward Perman Cole died in May, it was a Sunday afternoon and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It's difficult to understand the sum of a person's life, some people would tell you it's measured by the one's left behind, some believe it can be measured in faith, some say by love, other folks say life has no meaning at all...Me, I believe you measure yourself by the people that measure themselves by you..."

No matter how you wish to measure yourself, life here on earth is too short to live for yourself rather than live for an eternity spent in heaven. The time is now to start living our lives for the Lord.