In the Blink of an Eye

This song is by Mercy Me. I heard it yesterday and I feel like it goes hand in hand with my last post.

You put me here for a reason
You have a mission for me
You knew my name and You called it
Long before I learned to breathe

Sometimes I feel disappointed
By the way I spend my time
How can I further Your kingdom
When I'm so wrapped up in mine
In a Blink of an eye that is when
I'll be closer to You than I've ever been
Time will fly, but until then
I'll embrace every moment I'm given
There's a reason I'm alive for a blink of an eye

And though I'm living a good life
Can my life be something great?
I have to answer the question
Before it's too late

Cause in a Blink of an eye that is when
I'll be closer to You than I've ever been
Time will fly, but until then
I'll embrace every moment I'm given
There's a reason I'm alive for a blink of an eye

If I give the very best of me
That becomes my legacy
So tell me what am I waiting for?
What am I waiting for?

In a Blink of an eye that is when
I'll be closer to You than I've ever been
Time will fly, but until then
I'll embrace every moment I'm given

In a Blink of an eye that is when
I'll be closer to You than I've ever been
Time will fly, but until then
I'll embrace every moment I'm given
There's a reason I'm alive for a blink of an eye

Taking Action...NOW

“Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”

Philippians 3:17-21

Bible commentary on Phil. 3:19:
“But we must ask ourselves is too much of our time spent on efforts that will not endure in eternity, seeking earthly pleasures, or satisfying our physical desires? We must set our minds on knowing Christ, not on the pursuits of this world.”

You know, it is so easy to get caught up in the ‘world’s way.’ I mean, everywhere you turn there is some convincing argument persuading you to buy the next fashionable item, the latest and greatest gadget, a better car, to upgrade your significant other—or at least be sleeping with the one you have. It’s no wonder we start to fall into the belief that life is about what we can get out of it. We all strive for the American Dream—getting the best family, the biggest house, the raddest toys. We are under the impression that looking out for ‘numero uno’ (…that’s you…) and doing whatever feels best should be foundational principles in living. It is ESPECIALLY easy to think this way when young. Heck, you have your whole life ahead of you to a.)figure it out/make a contribution, and/or b.)put away your self-focused ways and settle down. But what if the rest of your life means 24 hours?

It’s amazing how death sobers us up. I’ve had the unfortunate experience of not only losing my aunt this past month without notice, but also losing a college friend two days ago while he was serving with the Marines over in Afghanistan. My Aunt Cindy was “young”. Early 50’s. But Nic Madrazo…he was really young. MY age. Twenty five. Tragedies like these always cut deep, never making sense. Never an answer to the “why” question. BUT it reminds me that if you read the Bible I do, it tells us this world is temporary. Our life here is just a blink of the eye compared to our eternal lives. The end goal is not to live a good life here. The end goal is salvation, and heaven. There is a sense of urgency to life that those in the younger generations forget about since they easily overlook the fact that bad things can happen to them too, not just those around. It’s that whole being-young-and-truly-believing-we-are-invincible factor. So let’s step back and remember we ARE mortal. And the goal here is to love others with Christ’s love, and encourage everyone to find out about this ‘Good News’ we believers tend to take for granted. How tragic to lose friends/family that never believed, but moreover, that you overlooked taking the time to speak to about Christ and what He offers us all. I don’t want to experience the feelings associated with such a realization. Do you?

So instead of getting so focused on our ‘five year plans’ (don’t get me wrong, I support all you planners out there), how about we focus on the here and now, and how we can make an impact in the present? Because five years may not come for some of us. OH we all like to think it will. I’m sure Nic believed the same thing about his life until two days ago. BUT NONE OF US KNOW. At least Nic was one step ahead of many. He WAS making a difference. Let’s learn from him. Let’s engage with those around us, and learn how to help them. And LOVE them. I beg you all to consider what you can start doing...TODAY.