A Near-Tragic Reminder

"Our days on earth are like grass;

like wildflowers, we bloom and die."

Psalm 103:15

     Only yesterday evening, our vehicle moved along the highway with a seemingly constant dark cloud overhead -- both figuratively and literally.  The weather was dull and rainy, the kids were bickering in the back, my mood had grown miserable, and I'm sure my husband would have pushed an eject button for his seat had there been one.  Just one of those car rides that was lasting a little too long . . . and then it happened.

     As we crested the top of a hill on the four-lane highway, we all saw the scene before us simultaneously -- two cars had smashed only moments prior, debris was everywhere and no emergency vehicles were on the scene.  My husband quickly pulled our vehicle over beside a small, black, twisted car and said, "There's a baby in that one, hurry." 

     I jumped out and rushed to the driver's side to see what meager help I could offer, wishing I had more than standard first aid. 

     A moment in time when I felt my head try to prepare my heart for the worst.

     "HELP MY BABY!  HELP MY BABY!"   The cries that hit my ears were those of the frantic driver of the car.  Blood poured down her arm and glass covered her now-stained, pink sweatshirt.  She already had removed the baby from the car seat, so hoping I wouldn't make any pending injuries worse, I took the baby from her arms and grabbed paper towel to press against the woman's gash. 

     The baby screamed as I held onto her, but other than a few small shards of glass over her, she seemed alright.  The woman made some panicked phone calls on a cell phone as I tried to steady her with my free arm.  Within moments, a few police officers arrived and soon after two ambulances.  The attendants took the baby and whisked her and the woman away in the emergency vehicle.  The police officer asked us a few questions and suddenly we were free to go on our way.

     The problem is, how do you "go on your way" after witnessing something like that?  

     You just get in your car and drive away and pretend life is rosy?  Never!  I discovered that evening.  Our kids had witnessed the whole event from the safety of their car seats.  My husband had stood near watching for how he could help.  I had just held a baby whose life had been inches from tragedy.

     In that instant I learned that bickering is more trivial than I realized.  That life is more fragile than I had remembered. 

     As we drove away and prayed for those in the accident, one of my children said from the backseat, "If we had been there one minute earlier we might have seen what happened." 

     To which my older child responded, "No, we might have been what happened!"

     We let the soberness of that thought sink in for a moment and then processed the delicateness of life together.  How we need to treasure each other and every moment we are given, and be sure that we are keeping short accounts of wrong while extending generous amounts of grace.  And realize everything that we often take for granted can change in a heartbeat.

     I share this near-tragedy in hopes that it may be a reminder beyond the walls of our vehicle -- that the next time a fight erupts in the backseat, we make every moment and word count as if it could be our last ones . . . and couldn't that look different?

  "Mercy, peace and love

be yours in abundance."

Jude1:2

     

Storing Up Treasures



As I tucked my daughter into bed, I wondered at the significance of the quilt that I had just pulled up around her chin. It was left to us by my grandmother, who passed away recently at the age of 97. What struck me as most significant during this simple act of bedtime routine was this; the quilt was one of the few things that my grandmother had held onto during her last days this side of eternity.  Such a ordinary treasure, but it spoke volumes to where she, and my grandfather when he was still living, focused their lives - it was in storing treasures in heaven. 

In this day and age, it seems such a challenge to grasp the truth that what we have in the here and now will NOT last.  As it has been said so many times before, we come into the world with nothing and we can't take anything with us when we go.  As I watched my grandmother live out her last years on earth, especially once she was on her own without my grandfather; I saw her give away and dispose of almost everything that she owned.  This wasn't out of necessity as much as the increasing comprehension that those items held no value for her in light of eternity.  This is a truth that I want to be able to gain greater understanding of, in order that I can live my life accordingly and communicate it with our children.

While Jesus walked this earth, He carefully instructed those around Him, in the most important truths that they needed to grasp.  I find it fascinating that He talked about money more than He talked about almost any other subject.  In Matthew 6:19-21, in the Message, it relates so well what He wanted us to grasp,
     "Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or - worse - stolen by burglars.  Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it is safe from moth and rust and burglars.  It's obvious, isn't it?  The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being."

During different parts of a given year, you often hear of increases in theft and break-ins, and it is interesting to listen for the reaction of those in the area.  No one likes it - I don't either, but while some people respond with reasonable caution in ensuring they lock their doors and be wise, others respond with drastic measures.  They install alarm systems, they own vicious dogs, they triple padlock the doors and windows...you get the idea.  I am not saying we should not be wise in guarding our homes, but sometimes when we test our reactions to events like those, it can show us where our hearts are presently at. 

God knew we couldn't store treasures in two places at once, so He carefully laid out the strategy.  We are free to enjoy the treasures that God blesses us with here on earth - John 1:16 tells us that, "We all live off His generous bounty, gift after gift after gift," BUT we need to put our energy into storing up treasures in heaven.  How are these stored?  We are told to give to those in need, to care for the orphans and the widows, to be generous to all, and to share our time and resources with those He places in our lives.

As we invest in heaven, God will pour out blessing here on earth and much more will be reserved for us when we step into eternity.  May we somehow recognize that the what we see and touch in these moments on earth is so very temporary, and what is ahead is not only permanent, but of much greater value and worth.  As we learn and live out these values here on earth, our children will watch and grow from our examples!