New Shoes!
I just bought new shoes after my near-fatal accident. A few days later, I told Linda that I had no sense my days of walking on this earth were about to end; however, the receipt was still in the box just in case she needed to return them! Well, I've now worn them a few times and expect to wear them out in the months and even years to come.
I'm fulfilled but I'm not yet finished! I'm really looking forward to the opportunities of the coming year. I'll be traveling, speaking and facilitating covenant groups. My days are typically filled with multiple delights, but I'm not naive.
Only God knows the future and He's not telling! I just talked with a friend who heard me recommend "And Then The End Will Come" by Douglas Cobb. If you're familiar with the book, Doug is among those who believe that the Lord's return is likely within our expected lifetime.
What's your longevity expectation? I just checked and discovered that according to the CDC the life expectancy of American men is 76.4 years. If that were true for me I've only got a few months left!
Everyone has an expiration date! This could be the last thing I ever write or that you ever read. That's not a reason for sadness, but for soberness and thoughtfulness.
I'm not afraid of dying ... Are you? I'll never forget a heartfelt confession from one of the youngest leaders to ever be in a covenant group with me. He admitted that the fear of an early death haunted him. Finally he took heart as he settled on this encouraging passage from Hebrews 2:14-15 in the NLT.
For only as a human being could he (Jesus) die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.
Here's the good news, God is not only with us in the present, but He is already in the future waiting for us to arrive. I can hardly wait to see what happens next, both on this day and in all the days yet to come for me. This I know, "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:16 NIV
Grace and Peace,
Alan
