Of living and dying well

Everything seems to change when we hear some really sad news. One moment we are lost in our own lives, what we are going to do that day, what we are going to eat for lunch, what clothes we will wear that day, and then BOOM! We receive some tragic news, like the loss of a life of a young person. Then all of a sudden our preoccupation with our daily stuff seems to fade away quickly.

Sometimes I know I put too much emphasis on stuff that doesn't matter so much. Like just recently, as we prepared to move into a different house we uncovered tons of stuff we had no use for and had not seen for quiet some time. Things, stuff....junk. I cannot tell you how many pieces of junk that I threw away, gave away, placed out in front of our house so that the early morning collectors of stuff would pick it up. At one point I got a little angry at myself for having so much stuff that I did not need. So I got rid of even more, and I'm not finished yet.

The young person who died in an accident this past Sunday was serving as a short term missionary in South Africa. She was described by those who served alongside her as a person who lived a life of love. She loved her team members, her family back home, and especially the people of South Africa. She was giving up a year of her life to serve and love people in Africa. She never knew that she would give up her life on this earth to serve there.

This Sunday our youth pastor Rusty shared a powerful illustration of how we should give over all our stuff and all of our relationships to the Lord and let him do as he pleases with them. At one point Rusty began tossing his stuff onto the ground in front of the stage. He chunked his wallet, watch, cell phone, and even shoes and belt. I was scared the shirt was coming off too.

In the end the Lord doesn't really want our stuff, He wants us, our very lives, plans, dreams, everything.

The young person who died in Africa gave her all. Tragically she died when a tire blew out and a car rolled over. She died doing what she loved to do, serving people and loving them. She very well could have died in the United States just merely existing in life like so many do. Praise God she lived and died with purpose.