She knew she only had weeks left
to live. She was 19, bright, beautiful,
and in love with a man who adored her, and she only had a few weeks left of her
life. She was determined to use that
time to the fullest: to bring all of her friends closer to God. Melissa was a young woman on a mission. She poured over small booklets and materials
to give to her friends, such as The Reason Why, desperate to make
them understand the amazing power of God's love that filled her life and gave
her hope. When she saw to her college
friends for the last time, she hugged each one, then turned as she left to
quietly declare, "Guys, I know where I'm going." Melissa had a purpose to her life and a clear
confidence in the face of death, as she felt the arms of God surrounding her.
What
about us? Are we spending our time
investing in eternity or getting caught up worrying about the small stuff? Can we block out our surrounding culture that
tells us to do more, have more, be more? Can we hear the voice of God telling us we are
loved JUST as we are? Personally, I need
constant reminders, daily refocusing on the true meaning of life: as many as I
can get! I need my internet homepage to
be a devotional, so I stop for a minute and read a Bible verse before opening
email. I need the routine of saying a prayer in the car before turning on the
radio. I need to turn each day over to
Christ as I climb out of bed and anticipate my to-do list. I need the habit of saying grace with my
family every night, because it is the only time we pray together regularly,
providing us with a precious opportunity to share our burdens with God and each
other. I need to make my life count for Christ, because, like Melissa, I want
my investment to be long term: for eternity.
