Life is Fragile

My heart is heavy today as I write.  I sent a Christmas card to an old friend and received a letter back from her husband a few days ago.  He wrote to tell me that my friend  died from cancer on December 15.  The Christmas letter I sent to encourage her?  Well she got it nine days too late.  I can't imagine how many times her dear husband had to open a card addressed to them or to her.  Ugh!  Anyway, the finality of her life on earth was so weird.  She has been sick for about five years so she's been ready for this.  It still came as a total shock to me.  I ache for her husband and two children.  Their daughter and my daughter went to preschool together; I have such fond memories of those simple, playful days.  She fought accepting Christ until the very end.  One of my dear friends says that she did accept Christ and was even baptized!  I don't know all the details of that situation but I pray she's in heaven, resting in Him.

All this makes me think, why wait?  Why wait to start living life to the fullest?  Life is fragile.  Our time here is short.  Our time with our children is short.  Look at your baby.  I doubt he/ she is much of a baby any more.  I can barely remember my kids as babies and it wasn't that long ago!  My middle child loved to rock.  I would just stare at him for hours while he napped, clinging to that time.  Now it's over and he's at school all day!  Our time here on earth is so short, so precious.  It will end and it will happen quicker than we can imagine.  

Maybe you need to pray about accepting Christ's gift.  Maybe you need to pray with your kids about them accepting Christ's gift.  Eternal life is coming one way or another.  It almost tortures me thinking about how much time we DON'T have here; why wait?  Why postpone making the most important decision of our lives?  Why postpone fully living for Him?  Why postpone teaching our kids the truth about God and His word?  

Today I challenge you to stop postponing.  Wherever you are in your walk with Him, wherever you are in training yourself  and your children...I challenge you to take it to the next level in 2009.  Life is fragile.  This may very well be your last year.  What will you choose to do with it?

Be challenged!

Be lifted!

John 10:10

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.