Five Steps Away From Death
Last week Pacific Life Church partnered with PB Presbyterian Church for a Trunk or Treat at their location. I want to thank those of you who either entered your vehicle or helped with the children's games. It was a great night, and I know it meant a lot to our friends at the Presbyterian Church.
After the event was over, I headed over to pick up our van. Todd Lehr and I were walking together and talking about the evening. We were standing on the corner of Garnet and Jewell Street, waiting for the light to turn, when we heard tires screeching and cars crashing. We saw a car careening across the street, over the curb, and finally coming to a stop after it hit something stationary. Smoke, glass, and metal were everywhere. Todd and I crossed the street, and Todd opened the door and helped a young guy—probably late teens or early 20s—out of his car. He was okay but clearly in shock. The young woman whose car he ran into had already climbed out of her car and seemed to be okay but visibly shaken. Todd spent some time talking to the young man to calm him down and make sure he was okay. In a matter of minutes, the police and the fire department were on the scene. As Todd and I were standing there processing everything that had happened, he said something that sent a chill through both of us.
He said, “Do you realize we were steps away from being exactly where those cars crashed?”
I took another look and realized he was right. We were seconds away from stepping directly into the path of certain death. That night I had a hard time sleeping. The horrible sounds of the crash kept playing over and over in my head. I started thinking, “What if I had been killed? How would I feel about my life?” My salvation is not in question, so I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about how I’ve lived my entire life. Was I a good son to my parents? A good brother to my sisters? A good husband to my wife? A good father to my children? A good grandfather to my grandchildren? A good friend to my friends? Could I honestly say, “I have no regrets?”
I do have regrets. I’m a sinner and a saint. I wish I could go back and undo some things, but I can’t. However, I’m at peace with that. I am a man in process. I can honestly say I’m doing the best I can. In light of that, if last Tuesday had been the last day of my life, I’m confident that my life would have made a difference in this world.
Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” I’m glad the Lord spared my life as well as Todd’s life. My purpose in writing this is to encourage you to think about your life. If you died suddenly, how would you feel about your life so far? If this question troubles you, maybe it’s time to make some changes. Maybe it’s time to do a reset on your priorities. Invite God into this question. He will help you and give you the strength to live a life that makes a difference in this world.
Stay close to Jesus,
Steve