Two Saturdays ago a friend from high school was killed in a motorcycle accident. I hadn't seen her since high school where we became friends through playing softball together. We were friends on Facebook, but other than that, I never thought about her. Then I saw the newspaper article about her accident, and I couldn't stop thinking about her. I have been fortunate to not have lost many friends or family members. But when it happens, it shakes me to my core.
Nothing strikes fear into my heart more than thinking about loosing the ones I love. I'm not scared to die, but I'm scared for others. I was reminded many times the past few weeks of how short life is and how fragile it is. It's so clique but we don't know when our last day will be and remembering that dramatically shifts my priorities. Life is about relationships, not how successful, attractive or popular you are. It's about investing in the lives of others and caring about people because God cares about people.
I realized that I need to make time for others. I'm naturally an introvert and it takes effort to be with others. I don't often look forward to being social, but I am always thankful when I am. God is stretching me and convicting me in this area. I can't get so tied to my agenda, that I don't make time for others. My first commitments are to my husband and my son, but Jesus has so much to teach me through others. And I hope that he can somehow use me to inspire others to get serious about Jesus.
My heart still aches for the loss of my friend, but I am thankful for what death does to wreck our lives. God is ever present in our time of need and He shows himself to be greater than we could dream or imagine.
I feel the very same. I also haven't had anyone close to me die but I do fear it. I wish I didn't worry so much about it. Like you, I don't fear death but I don't want it for others. A few nights ago there was a loud boom at 1 am. I couldn't sleep and heard it. Then I heard a hovering helicopter, ambulances and numerous cops. I woke up the next morning to look it up and find that a woman was going the wrong way on the highway (because we live right off the highway) and ran into a man going the right way. She died instantly. He suffered and later died that morning. It got me right down to my bones. I couldn't stop thinking about it. My husband and I talked about it. I didn't even know those people and yet I cried for that man and thought a lot about innocence and it just reminded me how brief life can be.
ReplyDeleteThat must have been scary to wake up to. Most times when I hear an ambulance, I say a prayer. It's so sad to think about how many people are suffering everyday because of death and injury. But I think our hearts should be sensitive to it, like yours. I think we need those reminders of how short our earthly life is to truly live well.
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