If you ask most people what dealing with a worldwide pandemic has taught them, I’m sure many would say that they have learned that tomorrow is not promised. Life is so fragile, so it’s important to show love to those you care about while they are still here.
Changed In An Instant
They say life can change in the blink of an eye – in an instant. My family was reminded of this a few years back when my dad was involved in a terrible accident.
My mom had gotten a phone call that my dad was the victim of a hit and run, and that she needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible. We knew my dad had been riding his motorcycle, so we feared the worst.
When we got to the hospital, they were in the middle of performing life-saving surgery on my dad. He had broken five ribs, one of which punctured his lung. He had bruised some of his internal organs and his spleen had ruptured.
While my dad was recovering, everyday was a reminder that tomorrow is not promised, and each day is a precious gift. It was a wake up call to my whole family of just how important it is not to take life for granted.
My dad had to stay in the hospital for several days, but overall, he was very fortunate and has made a full recovery. Some people say he was lucky, but truthfully, he made it through this accident because God was protecting him. We know full well that the outcome could have been tragic if even one little thing had gone differently that day.
Living Dangerously in the Hands of God
On the side of his motorcycle, my dad had a custom made decal that said, “Abandoned to Grace, But Anchored in His Love.” I never really paid that much attention to it, or what it meant before his accident. It wasn’t until afterward that I did some googling and discovered where the quote came from and the meaning behind it.
When I was a kid my dad was a big fan of contemporary Christian music. He was the one who introduced me to Christian music giants, like Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman, so it came as no surprise that the quote was actually a lyric of an old Steve Camp song.
The song is called “Living Dangerously in the Hands of God.” As it turned out the full lyric says, “Abandoned to Grace, But Anchored in His Love, Living Dangerously, In The Hands Of God.”
When I read those lyrics, I understood why my dad had put them on the side of his motorcycle. The words “Abandoned to Grace” and “Anchored in His Love” obviously had meaning to my dad. As a Christian, he has been given the grace of God, and his life is “anchored” and rooted in the Lord.
The ironic part is that the lyrics he couldn’t fit on the bike are the ones I believe were the most meaningful that day. That reminder that tomorrow is not promised, but what is promised is that God holds all our days in his hands.
The day of his motorcycle accident, my dad was hit by a truck, thrown off his bike, and left in the middle of the street. He doesn’t remember anything after that, but the doctors said his injuries were consistent with someone who had been run over by a car.
A tractor trailer had been just a few cars behind my dad and saw what had happened. When he got to where my dad was laying, he parked in the middle of the street, stopping traffic and preventing my dad from being run over more, no doubt saving his life.
My dad may have been “Living Dangerously” by riding his motorcycle that day, but it’s obvious he was very much “In the Hands of God” through it all.
Tomorrow Is Not Promised, So Make Today Count
I’ve heard an old quote, “The days pass slowly, but the years pass quickly.” There is a lot of truth in that saying. Sometimes each day holds so much, it feels like things just drag along. We go through the motions of going to work, helping kids with homework, putting dinner on the table, but never really enjoy the time we have with those we love!
In the end, we never truly know how much time we will be given on this earth. Our tomorrow is not promised, so we should make each day count. Be sure to tell people how much you love them. Make time for your friends and family. Most importantly, be sure your life is anchored in Christ, so when you reach the end of your days, you will know with all confidence where you will spend eternity!