Death and Life

I've been surrounded by four deaths this week. Four. All of them dear, treasured people, all greatly loved. So once again I ponder that unknown word, death.

Outside my window just now, everywhere you look, you are surrounded by life. As spring begins to show it's first signs, life just seems to burst forth from the birds, the trees, the air, and the sky.

To experience life in one hand and death in the other is such an odd feeling. In Christ, I know that there is eternal life. I know that full well. However, there are now four people who are no longer here. What is so eternal about that?

I think my idea of "eternal life" has been wrong for a long time. In Christ, there is eternal soul-life. Praise Jesus that there are four souls in Heaven with Him! Life on earth, though, is not eternal.

We could die at any instant. Why then, do we not live that way? Making every moment worthy for our King, pointing lost souls to our Lord, serving Him?

The other day I glanced at my calendar. "Here we are," I thought. "Just another box on a page. I will go to bed and wake up, and we will have moved to yet another box with a number on it..."

What? Suddenly I realized what I was saying. Just another day? No, no--rather another day created by God, unlike all the millions of other days. Set apart to be used for His glory, not a minute to be wasted.

That is how the servants of Christ must work.