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If he only knew what was about to happen

Fourteen of us gathered together on Easter Sunday to celebrate a meal together.  The big screen TV was locked onto basketball and the men of the room fixed their gazes to Duke vs. Louisville.  Little did Kevin Ware know (basketball player for Louisville) that his life was about to be turned upside down.  It’s not unusual to hear an uproar from my family as they watch sporting events, but the sudden cries that reverberated through the house alerted everyone that something horrific had just been witnessed.  Without warning, Kevin Ware leaped to block a shot, came down on his leg wrong and it snapped.  It was difficult to watch.  The other members of the family came running in wanting to know what happened.  With the new age of TV, it was easy to rewind the live event and relive the horrific injury. 

The comment that stood out to me as we fixed our eyes on jersey #5 was, “if he only knew what was about to happen in the next 5 seconds”.   Wow, that hit me right between the eyes.  We don’t know what is waiting for us around the corner.  All the hopes and dreams and plans we have could be shattered in an instant. 

Sitting in the room among my family was my niece.  Only 8 days before, she had lost her baby at 24 weeks.   This morning as I was taking the kids to work, a fire rescue vehicle followed by a police car passed us at an intersection.  An serious accident had just occurred a block from our house, at the very intersection we use daily.  You don’t know what tomorrow or even today holds. 

Does that mean we shouldn’t risk?   Does it mean we shouldn’t live?  No, it is a great reminder to put our perspective and focus on the One who holds our tomorrows.  It means using every minute you have to please God and be satisfied in Him.  It means clinging to the God of grace when tragedy does strike and resting in His sovereign arms.  It is a stern reminder to live this moment for the splendor of His name, not allowing these next 5 seconds to be wasted. 

“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.” James 4: 14a

“Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Eccl. 12:13b

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Phil. 1:21

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