Come, Lord Jesus, Come

And if today was the end ...

I was driving yesterday and listening to a radio preacher talking about Jesus' decision to give himself up for us all. He said words to the effect that Jesus was the only person ever to willingly die. I, being a smartly kinda guy, thought instantly of suicides. The preacher said seconds later, "I bet you're wondering about suicide bombers. Well, they only decided the time of their death, not the fact they were going to die. Everyone," he said, "is going to die. We don't decide we're going to. But Jesus did."

Sort of makes sense to me. I just know that as far as I know or can remember, Jesus is the only one born to die, born specifically for the purpose of dying.

And even he tried to avert it as the end neared.

Near the end of the Gospel of Matthew, in the Garden of Gethsemane, we read, " Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

⁴⁰ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. ⁴¹ “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

⁴² He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

All of that leads me to today's end of the world saga. If, indeed, today was the last one we would spend alive, how would you rate your life? What you've done? What you haven't? The good, the bad, the in-between?

I must tell you that overall, despite my many, many failures that still happen far too often, I'm pleased. Pleased that I'm loved by a wonderful woman, three great kids who all have made me proud of who they are and whose they are, a couple of wonderful spouses who love their mate, grand-children who have been blessed with great health and intelligence and quick wits.

I'm pleased that I, for many, many years, did the thing I most wanted to do in life, from the age of 13 on. I was paid to write, to edit, to design, to be a newspaper person in all that the term meant. I loved it. Still dream of it.

But more importantly, particularly since today is the last of the days, I am pleased that through my own failures I was able to find Jesus. He was always around in my life, but I was far, far to ego-filled to accept his love and direction. Until I hit bottom. And there He was, arms reaching out to me.

I'm pleased that my life changed almost instantly, in a myriad of ways. Eventually it changed so much that what I had always wanted to do, write sports, became second, then third, then way down the list of wantabees. So, I became a preacher of the Gospel. Again, pleasing myself because of the privilege of talking about the one who saved me in all the ways one can be saved.

If today is the end, I'll go on. Life will change, but eternity is waiting, and Jesus' arms are extended again. I am pleased that I never felt I was settling for new directions, but instead was constantly given new directions, new paths, to go down.

If today is the end, friendships made over time will end, but with many, many, many of those friendships, they will continue across the River Jordan.

If today is the end, bills will cease, pain will forfeit, smiles will last for days, and days with our Lord are like a thousand years.

If today is the end, I won't do the writing thing any longer, but I will be perfectly willing to be a scribe for our Lord, if He needs one of course.

If today is the end, the Saints will no longer be worrying about any bounty tales, the Braves won't blow another season at the end, and Mississippi State will win in the end.

Life really is pleasurable, even at the end. I do not choose to have it end, but if it is ending today, I'm so very glad the one person who chose to die, did so for me, and Mary, and Jason, and Shanna, and Carrie, and Becky, and Blaine, and Mia, Gabe, Karli, Parker, Gavin, Livvy, and Emma, and every friend and even every enemy I've ever had.

That's a pretty good life; Jesus called it abundant.

So the point is if this is the end, Come, Lord Jesus, Come.