Tuesday, July 15, 2008

"Know For Sure"
I walked into her hospital room to change her colostomy bag and bathe her. She was 99 years old. I loved taking care of her because she intrigued me. What was she like when she was my age? At the time I was all of 27 years old. This part of being a registered nurse was the part I adored ~ taking care of those who couldn’t take care of themselves.
As I stood her up on her unsteady legs, walked her to her chair and gently lowered her, I asked, “Are you ready to go home to be with Jesus soon?” She answered, “I hope so but I don’t know if I will get to or not. I tried to live a good life and raise my family in church. But I just don’t know.”
I was so shocked. Someone her age should know where she was going when she died. My words and thoughts revealed my naiveté. I had just assumed that all “old people” had made their peace with God. So my questions were probed into an area that she was unsure of herself. Her spiritual feet were as unsteady as her 99-year-old ones.
As I bathed her and took care of her needs. I told her that she could be sure of her eternal life and proceeded to tell her about Jesus and that all she had to do was ask Him to be her Savior. It was not too late and she could know for sure.
She looked up at me and I saw a child’s eyes dance in the face of an old woman. I could see hope and excitement like I had never experienced before. She believed Jesus and I know she rests with Him now.
I wonder what her life had been like if she had known about the safety found in Jesus when she was my age. For 99 years she wondered whether she was good enough to go to heaven after she died. At 99 she chose to build the rest of her life on the solid foundation of Jesus.
It wasn’t long before she stepped into eternity with Him. Can you even image what that was like for her? She is walking strong in eternity with the One who had always loved her beyond her imagination.
As I look at my own life I am grateful that at 49 I can say for sure that Jesus is real and that He loves me. It gives me such peace. It doesn't mean that my life is not full of struggles and pain. Everyone has that, some more that others. It does mean that I am not alone and that this life is temporary. It is just a mist, a mere vapor.
Eternitty is the real life. This one is just the priliminary to the next. As we live here on this earth with all its crud as well as all its joys we need to lean heavily on the One who loves us most.
Don't wait until you are 99 and still wondering were you will be in the next part of your existence. You can be sure now. God loves you so much! Now, decide to really love Him back.

"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Deuteronomy 6:5

1 comment:

  1. I love this one... Made my heart fill full of peace and reminded me that I loved and that I love my God! Love you!

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