Knocking (Three Times) on Death's Door
Friday, August 30, 2024
“The statistics are grim. Three people die every second – 180/minute – 260,000 day – 95,000,000 per year. We’ll all be part of these statistics one day. Best to prepare now!” – Bob Williamson
Have you ever come close to dying?
When I was in my early 20s, I was involved in two serious car accidents. I was the driver in the first one and a passenger in the second. In both instances, I should have been killed and yet, I was able to walk away with only a few bruises. Obviously, it wasn’t my time…
Then, in the summer of 2021, I contracted Covid. It wasn’t the Omicron variant that I have had twice since, but rather the deadly Delta variant that killed more than 1,000,000 Americans. For weeks, I battled a high fever and body aches, and had trouble breathing. Eating was a chore, showering was a workout, and walking more than a few feet was exhausting. I lost 20 pounds and according to my wife, I looked like a corpse.
It took me months to get to the point where I could take out the trash, walk our dogs, and drive a car. One of my first trips was to see a pulmonologist who, after listening to my lungs, ordered a CT-scan… STAT! When I met with him to review the results, he told me that not only did I have bilateral pneumonia but also that – based on the test results – I should have died, and would have if I hadn’t been in such good shape before Covid hit. It was very apparent that God wasn’t done with me yet and had more work for me to do.
One day, my “luck” will wear out and God will call me home. Will He use another car crash or yet another bout with Covid to usher me into heaven? No one but God knows the answer to that question. He is also the only One who knows the exact date and time of my homegoing.
Until then, I plan to serve Him as best as I can by loving others and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with as many people as possible. As Bob Williamson said in today’s quote, living with an eternal purpose – and no regrets – is the best way to prepare for Glory!
“And it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.” Hebrews 9:27
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
