Significance

There are millions of people in this world. Millions, wait, billions. Trillions? Bazillions? I'm not sure the exact figure and honestly, when I finally figured out the actual figure it would've already changed, again. So, lets just go with there are a whole heck of a lot of people in this world.

You're welcome for that. You didn't even know, huh?

Point being, I read the obituaries the other day. I don't do this often because it makes me quite sad and mortal feeling. I think about death and losing my pyramid of family that holds me up. Death makes me uncomfortable and probably rightly so. I haven't experienced it lately, in a hit-home-hard sort of way. The last time I had death strike me was in high school and I've tied that memory up in such a way that even a Boy Scout couldn't untangle it. I feel like since I haven't experienced it lately, that its my turn to? I guess that sounds odd, because that's not how God works and in my heart of hearts I know this. But still, it looms in the back of my mind.

Back to the obituary reading...

I was reading because on Monday of this week I experienced death. I was bustling on my way to work. Loaded up the kid, piled in the car, we were late. (when are we not late, really?) It was about ten til 8 in the morning and I drive like a grandma on a normal basis. I was going fifty in a fifty-five in the fast lane (don't you hate people like me doing that?). People were annoyed, and proceeded to get in the slow lane to pass me. That's alright. I'm not mad about that. I looked down at my speedometer and thought maybe that wasn't ok and decided I needed to get over. Then it happened...
On this four lane (it had a turning lane also, does that make it a five lane?) highway, my eyes locked on a car in the lane parallel to mine. Silver car hit its brakes, and red car was speeding towards it...red car never saw the brakes. And then the collision. The red car crumpled like a soda can being stepped on. The impact pushed the silver car into my lane and there I was, looking at an over-sized speeding bullet barreling into my lane. I remember yelling "No, no, no!" My brakes screamed and I went into the turn lane. God's hands were on my wheel. How do I know this, you ask? Because I've never been good at defensive driving. My response time is about 2 minutes, and as we all know that isn't the time that's allotted in a motor vehicle accident about to take place...

God delivered us.
But the man in the red car, I don't think had another chance.
And it all happened in the blink of an eye.

So what's the point in all this rambling?

Its this: People die daily, thousands of people die. Never getting another chance to accepts Christ's sacrifice as their own, never gaining salvation. And they're going to Hell. Not for a week, not until they do better, but forever. FOREVER. Why are we immune to this? Why do these figures not kill us inside as Christians? Why are we not doing everything we can to help? Why do we chase the American dream instead of lost souls for God? Its shaken me. And honestly, it should shake you. I don't know where to begin, its such a massive problem. And I feel like a lot of Christians have, helpless. But we're not...the revolution for God starts with one step, one decision, one commitment. You don't have to sell your house and move to Ethiopia, but if God calls you to do that, cool. If not, He might call you to talk to the struggling elderly couple you see walking down the road or the child without a father. He calls each of us to something specific for us because he knows us better than we know ourselves. So next time your stomach goes in knots for the orphan in Guatamala on the tv screen or hear about the the tornado victims on the radio, pray. Pray for God's guidance because that knot is there for a reason and I believe its God telling us something. Let's help, lets help just one soul feel the joy of God's love, lets share of passion of our salvation with a friend, lets do what we can while we can here...