No big deal??? That's a big deal!!!!
That's what I think when I drive on Tennessee freeways when "531 ROADWAY FATALITIES" flashes across the sign as I drive by at 70 miles per hour on my way to church.
531 people. 531 funerals. 531 families who lost a daughter (like this man did in this article), son, mother, father, cousin etc. 531 people gone from this planet for forever. That's a big deal!!!!
When my husband and I moved to Tennessee 40 days ago, the sign read "416 ROADWAY FATALITIES". That's 115 people in 40 days (and it could be more than that because I haven't been on the freeway since Saturday).
Here's a video to give you an idea of what the signs look like:
And to think that someone's life is number on a flashing freeway sign. To think that you or I could be a fatality number somewhere just because we went for a drive.
No one plans for this. No one gets in their rig and thinks, "Well this is the day I become a number on a flashing sign. This is the day I don't come home to take care of my father (like in this article in case you missed it above). This is the day my life is done." No one does that. And I wouldn't want you to think that way.
But I sure hope that daughter gave her a Dad a hug that morning.
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Jesus could come today. No big deal.
No big deal?!?!?! That's a big deal!!!!!
That's what I think when I read Matthew 24, which is about Jesus' second coming... "But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven's angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows." Matthew 24:36 (MSG).
No one knows?!?!?!
"The Arrival of the Son of Man will take place in times like Noah's. Before the great flood everyone was carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ark. They knew nothing - until the flood hit and swept everything away." Matthew 24:37-39 (MSG)
Carrying on as usual?!?!?!?!
I guess carrying on as usual is the best thing to do. Because thinking, "Well Jesus could come today, so I'm not going to work." is not a good plan; I definitely do not want you to do that.
So it must be the "usual" that matters.
What does your "carrying on as usual" look like?
If Jesus does come today, I sure hope that our "usual" looks like this: our loved ones know not only how much we love them, but more importantly, how much God loves them. (Actually, I hope everyone know these things.)
Here's the deal... YOU COULD DIE TODAY.... JESUS COULD COME TODAY... TODAY!!!!
No one knows when they are going to die (well some do but very few know to the second and of course our Heavenly Father knows). No one knows when Jesus is going to come (except our Heavenly Father). So perhaps we should live as though today is it. Perhaps this is the kind of mentality we should have... perhaps this should become our "usual": to live today as if we're dying.... NEWS FLASH WE ARE DYING.
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In the article I referenced above, the Father (his name is Robert Almond and is 80 years old) who lost his daughter had this to say about the flashing signs:
Imagine what it's like for this Father, Robert Almond, to see the numbers on the flashing signs and people "carrying on as usual". (Please pause here and really think about this.)“I think a lot of people will slow down and pay more attention at first,” he said.“But people tend to have a short memory span. They think about it for a few days, but it’s like a person hitting their finger with a hammer. For a while, they’re very careful with the hammer, then they forget about it until they hit their finger again.”
Now imagine what it's like for our Heavenly Father to see his kids just "carry on as usual" despite all the flashing signs.
God is love (so let's live like it, let's change the definition of "carrying on as usual"),
Vanessa
PS. This week's memory verses are Matthew 24:36-39.
PSS. Please, I beg of you, to keep praying for these requests mentioned in this post.
PSS. Here are some tunes to go with this week's verse:
wow, very powerful. thanks for my first read of the morning!
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