Lives Cut Short

Photo courtesy of David Castillo Dominici, FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Germanwings Flight 9525 plane crash and ensuing news coverage bring to the forefront the brevity of life. Forty-five Spaniards, sixty-seven Germans, three Brits, and others passed away.

We really and truly never know when our last day will be or how we might die.

Of course, God knew about every one of the 150 souls on board. He knew each person by name and everything about them.

The truth is that air travel is much safer than getting in a car and driving. It’s much safer than any other mode of travel. Yet . . . sometimes people die. Sometimes, something goes wrong and a whole plane is lost.

You grieve with the families and friends. You grieve for the school that lost sixteen students and two teachers. You share in their shock and loss. You feel sorry for lives cut short.

And, inevitably, you think about your own life.

I know my husband and I have flown in similar planes from Spain to Germany and then to the U.S. quite a few times. It’s a frequently flown route. No one thinks twice about it. No one thinks these might be his last moments when he stows his carry-on, sits down, and buckles up. The Airbus A-320 has a wonderful safety record.

And yet . . .

150 souls went into eternity.

It’s too late to change anything. The accident happened, and the plane was lost.

I wonder if you’re ready.

Is your soul ready to meet God? Do you know—absolutely and positively—that if you were to die suddenly, you would meet the Lord in heaven? Are you born again? Jesus said, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3. If you have any doubts about whether or not you are born again, please read at least John, chapter 3. The whole book of John will reveal Jesus to you.) The Bible says in 1 John 5:13 that you can know you will go to heaven: These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Is your house in order? These are the practical things—finances, a will, funeral plans, the right people’s names as beneficiaries on insurance, your bank account, etc. These things are very important for single people as well as married.

Are there things you need to say? Say them now. Do you need to tell someone you love him? Do you need to tell a mentor how much he has meant to you? Do you need to get right with a friend or a family member? The Bible says we don’t have a guarantee of tomorrow. Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away (James 4:14).

Do you have a relationship that needs mending? Do your part to fix it. Reach out, and be humble. You don’t know if you’ll have another day.

And as it is appointed unto men once to die,

but after this the judgment:

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many;

and unto them that look for him

shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

(Hebrews 9:27-28)

May the Lord find us ready.