Previous Reflections
REFLECTIONS
September 25, 2011
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him.
Matthew 4:19-20
Fight for Life
That weekend my dad was in a fight for life. A blood clot hit his leg with its excruciating pain and the battle that ensued sent him into congestive heart failure. We could only stand by and helplessly watch as his condition worsened and his breathing labored like that of a marathon runner at the end of the race. He fought for his life with each gasping breath, but Daddy was not the only party in the fight.
Alongside him were Dr. Bob and Dr. Wayne. They joined the fight for life and worked tirelessly through the night and early morning hours to preserve my dad’s life. Through their commitment and personal sacrifice the battle was finally won and my dad lived a good life for several more years.
There are endless stories that can be told about the fight for life by those with little left to live with and often little left to live for. And there are endless stories of heroes who come alongside at great personal sacrifice and personal risk to save the life of another. It all makes me wonder why God made us the way He did.
I wonder why God imbues us with such a will to live. We live in a fallen world, yet inborn in us is a drive to fight for life. So if God gave us the will to fight for life in this world, I wonder why He did not instill us with the same will to fight for life eternal.
And I wonder why there can be a willingness to sacrifice and risk one’s own life to preserve the earthly life of a fellow traveler through this world, yet show such reluctance to lead someone to the one who promises life eternal.
That weekend we watched in amazement as Daddy won his fight for life. We were astounded that a human body could survive such an ordeal; but the will to live was a lesson we took away from it all. God instills in us an intense will to live. And many like Dr. Bob and Dr. Wayne sacrifice their time and often their lives for the health and wellbeing of others But God does not instilled everything He calls us to do.
God instills in us the fight for life in this world; but for eternal life, He leaves us a choice to make. And we seem predisposed to fight for the earthly life of others; but as for leading them to the one who promises life eternal—
Well it’s our choice to make.
You are the light of the world,
RichardÌ
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