Life and Death

Last night, Mike found a young man who had been killed by a drunk driver just a few hundred feet from the end of our driveway. He had been taking Meghan and Joacir home when he saw someone laying in the middle of the opposite lane. Several cars in front of them had passed by and hadn't even slowed down. Mike turned around to go back but could tell before he got out of the van that it was too late. This morning, we discovered that it was the 20-year-old son of a couple who has attended our church from time to time. He was a security guard and had been going to work on his bike when he was hit. We found out this morning that he was married and his wife was pregnant. Another disconcerting aspect of this senseless death was that he was robbed of his shoes, cell phone, and bike after he was killed.

When tragedy strikes, we are quickly reminded of how fragile life is; how easy it is to take friends and family for granted. This young man was given no warning that today would be his last; he had no time to say goodbye to loved ones or make amends with those he had offended. Did he have a relationship with Jesus? Was he immediately ushered into the gates of heaven? Although we don't have the answers, these questions can prod us to live each day without regret, each moment knowing that God has a perfect plan for our future. I praise Jesus for the assurance that I am His and my life is in His hands.