Live as if THEY are dying...

On Friday, my friend Terra called. She timidly said, “Hi, do you have a minute? I kinda need to talk.” Of course I said sure. Traveling at night with her husband and doggie, she and Danny got into a horrific car accident. The roads were wet from rain on I-75. Their convertible slid under and was dragged by an 18-wheeler truck 200 to 300 yards.

Everyone walked away with minor injuries. She felt it was God’s interventions that kept them safe. And it was God’s intervention that they were driving the convertible. Their plans to drive the SUV Suburban were cancelled the previous day when they took it into the mechanic for a tune-up. I thought a Surburban would be safer. However, the convertible’s lack of a solid roof saved them to safely slide under the semi-truck – if one was to slide under a truck.

I thanked God for their safety and the health. I wrestled with facing the reality of losing her. What if… what if she went to Heaven so young, so quickly. We didn’t get to go sky diving, or parasailing. We didn’t get to celebrate our birthdays together. We made a pact to start monthly celebrations from now until September, 2008, when I would be turning 40 and she would turn 40 the following November. What if…

It gave me a spirit of humility before God that we don’t have a promise of tomorrow. For children of God, we DO have a promise of eternity. I thought I was ready to face eternity and if I were to go tomorrow, I feel my heart is right with God to face Him and praise Him. However, I realized I want to live more through this life I have now. And I want to cherish my friendships within my grasp. I want more lunch times with Terra and Jean. I want more weekend excursions with Carolyn. I want more phone calls and visits with family. I want more vacations and quality time at home with the ONE love of my life, expanding the love affair with my husband that I could never have dreamed would be as fulfilling as it is today!

So I need to live like THEY are dying or that I don’t have the promise of tomorrow. I want to have no regrets in this life and daily thank God for all the relationships in which I am truly BLESSED!