Eternity
About two weeks ago an acquaintance of mine died. She was probably in her early 40's. She had an aneurysm and went brain dead. No warning. She leaves behind a family.
Just the week before the husband of a friend died of a brain tumor. He was in his 30's with a 3 y/o and an 11 month old. The last year+ Erik had been battling the tumor and was given a 5% chance of living a year. He made it a year and a half. Believers from around the world gathered in prayer to ask God to heal him and journeyed with their family as the Lord called him home. Erik's goal this past year was to love God more and to love people more. I think that goal was accomplished. The Lord called him home.
Two deaths within a few weeks of each other. In our 20's we don't often think about death. We think we are going to be around for the long run. But in two weeks of each other, two deaths of young individuals. One sudden, one a long process.
I realized, especially from Sheri's sudden death, that I am not living each day with an eternal perspective. There are things left unsaid. I believe in heaven but I don't live like I believe. I'm caught up in enjoying Greg, my life, my job and my son. I don't want Brayden to grow up without a mother. That scares me.
If I lived like I believed in heaven things would look different. I would not pursue useless and vain things that will not enter eternity with me. I would not be so frustrated with petty disagreements. I would live with an active hope and desire for things to come. I would be more proactive about telling the people about Jesus...because if I lived like I believed in heaven I also would live like I believed in hell. Hell is a scary place. I don't want anyone to go there. The last few years I've gotten caught up in mediocrity, living fairly apathetically knowing people were dying daily but not really caring.
I used to live with an eternal perspective. I wonder where it got lost and I began to become apathetic.
Just the week before the husband of a friend died of a brain tumor. He was in his 30's with a 3 y/o and an 11 month old. The last year+ Erik had been battling the tumor and was given a 5% chance of living a year. He made it a year and a half. Believers from around the world gathered in prayer to ask God to heal him and journeyed with their family as the Lord called him home. Erik's goal this past year was to love God more and to love people more. I think that goal was accomplished. The Lord called him home.
Two deaths within a few weeks of each other. In our 20's we don't often think about death. We think we are going to be around for the long run. But in two weeks of each other, two deaths of young individuals. One sudden, one a long process.
I realized, especially from Sheri's sudden death, that I am not living each day with an eternal perspective. There are things left unsaid. I believe in heaven but I don't live like I believe. I'm caught up in enjoying Greg, my life, my job and my son. I don't want Brayden to grow up without a mother. That scares me.
If I lived like I believed in heaven things would look different. I would not pursue useless and vain things that will not enter eternity with me. I would not be so frustrated with petty disagreements. I would live with an active hope and desire for things to come. I would be more proactive about telling the people about Jesus...because if I lived like I believed in heaven I also would live like I believed in hell. Hell is a scary place. I don't want anyone to go there. The last few years I've gotten caught up in mediocrity, living fairly apathetically knowing people were dying daily but not really caring.
I used to live with an eternal perspective. I wonder where it got lost and I began to become apathetic.
posted by katyanderson | 1:52 PM
2 Comments:
Katy...
I am finding that the more I pray for God's kingdom to come on earth, the more I am concerned with what goes on here. I have been captured this past year of God's project to "set the world to rights" (as nt wright might say) and have been more aware of how we as the church can trully be, as always intended, the light of the world. I have found more passion and less mediocracy in realizing that my life here on earth matters and the choices I make, living now, as though I were living in the new earth when God does in fact make all things right, help usher in an excitment of reaching forward toward those promises of justice and full redemption yet to be fulfilled. The excitement, which you know better than I, of being pregnant and awaiting birth.
Katy.....Thank you for this "Eternity" post. I remember when I was young and my main concern was that I live long enough to raise "The Boys". Lately I have given more thought of what I can do that will last. My heart breaks for my misdeeds. aThere are things I know there are good and bad things I will take with me. I beleive your friends husband was right. I need to love God and love other people. That is the bottom line. Love was never a big deal in my family growing up. I am 57 and now I discover it is a very big deal. Agan, Thanks, TA
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