Are you prepared for eternity?

It is impossible, when a natural disaster on the scale of the tornado which hit Oklahoma City occurs, to avoid thinking about the nature of our own mortality.  When this day began, 51 people got out of bed, not knowing this was their last day in this earthly realm.  They had breakfast, drank coffee, got backpacks, went to work and school - they did what everyone does on any other normal Monday, oblivious that this was not going to be a normal day for them.

It is sobering to consider how little control we really have over life and death.  We make plans, but we cannot guarantee we will be around to carry them through.  You set your agenda, make your arrangements, and believe that nothing will get in the way of accomplishing the task.  But God has warned us that we do not have the power to control the future.  We cannot see the path ahead, and no matter how much we try to control things, in the end, we do not determine our final hour.  That is in God's hands, and we do not know what plans he has for us.

In Matthew 25:13, we are reminded,

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."

We do not know what the world, or life, has in store for us.  We can only live in the way Jesus taught us, and be prepared for eternity with our God.

As always, this human tragedy is a reminder that life is short, and we must make the most of it while we have it.  We do not know where it will end, and we cannot control the future.  We can only control the now, and as Christians, we can control where we spend eternity.

Use your time wisely.  Prepare for everything.  Live for God, and follow his direction.  Then, when your day comes to meet God face to face, you will be ready.

Prayers and sympathy to all who have lost loved ones so tragically today.  Wishing you peace and comfort as you grieve your loss.