A Matter of Grave Importance

Life has its way of throwing at us the unexpected. We may think we have everything mapped out, and as long as we stay the course it will be smooth sailing ahead. And sometimes, it indeed goes as planned. But from my personal observations through the years of my life, I have come to realize that to be the exception rather than the norm. We do the best we can do to come up with a strategic plan which we feel will get us from where we are now to where we desire to be, but the problem is that so often we don't take into account the obstacles that could very easily get us off course.

Just a couple of examples will be sufficient to illustrate my point. Through many sessions of pre-marital counseling, I have asked couples how many children they hope to have. Simple question that usually leads to a simple answer. After the answer is given, I then begin to ask the more difficult "what if" questions. What if you can't conceive? What if you can conceive, but can never carry to term? What if the road you have mapped comes to a detour and sends you in a totally different direction?

I also, in pre-marital counseling, try to get the couple to think about other possibilities that might arise in their relationship. What if one or the other develops a dibilitating, crippling disease? What if one is involved in an accident that leaves him/her paralyzed from the neck down? The vow states that we are committed to this relationship until we are parted by death. Do we really mean what we say?

But it is not just about marriage. There are so many other "what ifs" in life. You establish educational goals, but something comes up that causes a detour and you never get the degree you sought. You establish financial goals, but something happens that wipes out your nest egg and you are left struggling just to get by week to week.

Yes, life has its way of throwing curves. Three months ago I did not expect to be going into surgery. But, here comes one of life's curves. After going through three sinus infections back to back to back, my family doctor decided I should see an ENT specialist, just to make sure there was nothing serious going on. So, after a visit to the ENT, I was then sent for a scan of my sinuses to try to determine the problem. The scan showed "something" in my sinus cavaties. However, a scan does not determine what that "something" is, so surgery is needed to be able to make a proper diagnosis.

I have been through nasal surgery once before, so I sort of know what to expect, even though this surgery will be a little more extensive than the previous. And I realize that surgery of this type is a common occurrence in hospitals and surgical centers across the country pretty much every day. But, surgery is surgery. Sometimes, the unexpected happens, even in the most common of surgical procedures.

Now, please understand that what I am about to say may sound a bit morbid, but I don't mean for it to be. I just want to make a point of a matter of grave importance. I know that anytime a person is put under anesthesia for any reason, there is the possibility that he/she will not wake up again - at least not here. So, as I have done every time I have had surgery (this will be my fourth surgical procedure), I have sat down with my wife and had a serious talk about that "eventuality". No, she didn't want to have the conversation, and, honestly, neither did I. But it is a matter of grave importance that I make sure she knows what to do in the event that I don't wake up. So, we had the conversation.

But now, to the point. There is actually something of much more grave importance than having that conversation with my wife. That is, I need to make sure that I am ready for the eventuality of going to sleep under anesthesia, and not waking up again on this side of eternity. I need to make sure that I am ready to meet the Lord Jesus Christ. I need to make sure that I have met Him on His terms, and not tried to meet Him on mine. It's not enough to have tried to be a good husband, and a good father, and even a good preacher and teacher. You see, I am not prepared for my eternal destiny because of what I have done.

Meeting God on His terms means that I accept His Son, Jesus Christ, as my personal Lord and Savior. It means that I have acknowleged that I am a sinner, deserving of God's just punishment of eternal damnation. It means that I acknowledge the fact that His Son, Jesus, died in my place, paying the penalty of my sin - a penalty that I deserve. It means that I accept the offer of His forgiving grace that saves me, and makes me a child of the King.

Since I learned of my impending surgery, I have once again made certain of my relationship with Jesus Christ. I have not reminded Him of all that I have done for Him, but I have once again thanked Him for what He so graciously did for me.

Friend, this is a matter of grave importance. Not just because I am facing surgery, but because I am not certain of my future. I may not make to surgery. I may die in an accident on the way to the hospital. I need to be ready at every moment of every day to meet my Savior. Will you think seriously about your eternal destiny, and make sure you are on the right road? Regardless of when we go, I hope we all go to the same place that has been provided by the simply amazing grace of God!