June 24, 2008
On this day, 4 years ago, I was sitting on my couch and staring at the wall. My close neighbor had just told me her best friend, Mary*, was the one who died in the car accident. I was shocked. I had just hung out with her 2 days before at my friend's house for a birthday party. And now she was dead.
That was one of the times in my life I felt like I had failed. I remember laying in bed that night and asking God why He let her die.
Why, when she had just told me the day of the party she was thinking about what we talked about.
Why He never let me see her again to ask what she decided.
Why my friend had to go through this.
A few weeks later, I was talking with Mary's sister, Rachael*, who had come to pick up some of Mary's things she'd left at my neighbors house.
We were sitting in the front yard of my house and she looked at me, tears filling her eyes, and she asked me, "You told me a few months ago that God has a plan for everything. Is this part of his plan?"
I remember looking at her and asking God what to answer. All I ended up answering was, "Yes."
"If that's the kind of man God is, why didn't He let us know she was going to die? Why didn't I get to say goodbye?" She asked and wiped her eyes.
"Because God doesn't always do what we want Him to do. He can take away the most important thing in our life just to prove how big He is. He has a reason for everything."
"If that's the way He is, I want nothing to do with Him." Rachael got up and left.
I didn't understand it either. Mary was only 16. She hadn't even finished high school yet. She wanted to be a nurse. She had a family who loved her.
But God had bigger plans.
He used that to show me that sometimes, even when we try as hard as we can, people don't listen. They'll take the chance and put it off one more day.
There's just one problem with that: You might not get another day. You might be like Mary, thinking you have another day to choose, but never get it.
It's like a garden. You can plant the seeds, but you have no idea when they will sprout. Or even if they'll sprout.
Choose today. Don't take the chance. Live for Christ. You won't regret it.
*Named changed
That was one of the times in my life I felt like I had failed. I remember laying in bed that night and asking God why He let her die.
Why, when she had just told me the day of the party she was thinking about what we talked about.
Why He never let me see her again to ask what she decided.
Why my friend had to go through this.
A few weeks later, I was talking with Mary's sister, Rachael*, who had come to pick up some of Mary's things she'd left at my neighbors house.
We were sitting in the front yard of my house and she looked at me, tears filling her eyes, and she asked me, "You told me a few months ago that God has a plan for everything. Is this part of his plan?"
I remember looking at her and asking God what to answer. All I ended up answering was, "Yes."
"If that's the kind of man God is, why didn't He let us know she was going to die? Why didn't I get to say goodbye?" She asked and wiped her eyes.
"Because God doesn't always do what we want Him to do. He can take away the most important thing in our life just to prove how big He is. He has a reason for everything."
"If that's the way He is, I want nothing to do with Him." Rachael got up and left.
I didn't understand it either. Mary was only 16. She hadn't even finished high school yet. She wanted to be a nurse. She had a family who loved her.
But God had bigger plans.
He used that to show me that sometimes, even when we try as hard as we can, people don't listen. They'll take the chance and put it off one more day.
There's just one problem with that: You might not get another day. You might be like Mary, thinking you have another day to choose, but never get it.
It's like a garden. You can plant the seeds, but you have no idea when they will sprout. Or even if they'll sprout.
Choose today. Don't take the chance. Live for Christ. You won't regret it.
*Named changed
