mepastormike

Something my oldest son and I have begun doing is reading through the old Hardy Boys books. We've had a blast doing this! One thing that my son can't stand... actually he thinks it's pretty cool... is how the author ends each chapter with real excitement. The suspense in my son is fun to watch. He is constantly asking me to read just a few more pages. The book we are reading now is "The House on the Cliff."
Today my reading took me to Genesis chapters 1 & 2. I get a sense of suspense as I read about God's creation. Each day of creation was made with the next day in mind. Everything had order and a reason for it's creation. Finally, God made man and woman... the apex of His creation. Everything else was created in such a way building up to God's greatest creation. It is humans that He breathed the "breath of life and the man became a living being." Living... that's a cool word as I give it even greater thought. What do I consider living? I guess very often I settle for living for so much less that what I am created for. After all, everything in God's created order was done so that I may have life... Jesus came that I may have life, and have it more abundantly. It really does seem like God wants me to "live" and not take that for granted.
Today I made a call to a very young family that I know well. The young lady was in my first youth group back in Harlan, KY. She married young, and she and her husband made it through some pretty shaky stuff. She became pregnant right away and by the time she was in her early twenties had four children. They moved to various places seeking work... there for a while I lost touch with them. Then out of the blue I received a call from them asking me to hold a wedding vow renewal on their tenth anniversary. They had grown up a lot... life has a way of doing that for most people. I was real proud of them... especially for this young lady. She had stood faithful beside her husband and seemed so excited about the future.
About a year later I received another call from them. This time not on happy terms. Their oldest child had been struck by a car while she was attempting to cross a road and had died. I was asked to preach her funeral... words can barely describe the pain that was felt by these parents. Even now as I write my heart grows sad.
That was almost two years ago. The date of this young girls death approaches and I long to know how they have managed over another year.
Life... O God, may I not take it for granted. May I live each day with the life You give, O Lord. May my tomorrow, if it comes, be lived in suspense of what You will do... may I rest in your presence.