But as I said, I have always been able to separate the bad things that happen to other people, with those that occur in my own life. That is, until about a month ago...
My wife Erica and were heading home from a packed Friday night. It was late, about 1:30. We were about half a mile from home, approaching a stop sign, when I heard firecrackers. I looked around, and my eyes focused on a bombardment of flashes of light being exchanged between two cars, about 50 feet away from us. It immediately registered. The two cars were shooting at each other.
Before I had time to say anything, one of the vehicles slammed on the accelerator, and came barreling into our lane, on target for a head-on collision. I’ll remember those headlights for as long as I live. Upon impact, our two month old Volkswagen Tiguan was pushed back - about 15 feet or so, into 4 parallel parked cars on the street. At this point, men and women
start getting out of the minivan that was shooting, and screaming.
“Oh my gosh. We are going to die.” I thought.
The story goes on, but in order to keep this at an acceptable length, I’ll summarize by saying that my wife and I are finally nearing 100% health, which I thank God for.
There it was. The violence that I heard about on the news was now infiltrating my life.
In the three weeks since the incident, I have repeatedly thought about how quickly life can change. Before, I figured that I would never have to deal with a situation that could end up costing me my life in an instant. However, this experience hammered home the fact that we are truly at God’s mercy.
Whether it is an event that you experience, or something God has placed in your life on a daily basis, it is all God’s plan. Some of us are born with above average intelligence, athletic skill, artistic ability. Some of us are born into ghastly poverty, which is often accompanied by hunger, minimal education, and a life filled with third world disease.
The thing I love about Awake & Alive, is that their entire mission is dedicated to dealing with one of the biggest shortcomings of our world...lack of education for the poor. In all of history, the thing that has driven prosperity, is knowledge and education. In a few hundred years, our standard of living has increased an overwhelming amount, all because of the power of knowledge, which is obtained through education.
On good days, I believe that God specifically wants to use me to fight this education epidemic. On days when I feel down, I have a little harder time accepting this truth. Despite my skepticism on those days, deep down I believe that it is of the utmost importance for one’s self to feel connected to something bigger than themselves. It goes beyond spirituality though, it actually makes us happier! Throughout the years I have repeatedly read (I am a science magazine junky) that being connected to something beyond yourself, makes you a happier person. It is actually one of the most important factors in happiness.
So, in summary, life is short. You are at the mercy of God. Do extraordinary things for Him, like getting involved with Awake & Alive. Whether it is through giving financially, or participating in my online Christian bookstore’s fundraising program that gives Awake & Alive 5% cash back whenever you shop. To participate in the latter, just use the fundraiser code “AwakeandAlive” when prompted at checkout.
Go beyond wishing. To quote a wise man, “Be the change you wish to see in the world”.
-Justin
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