Have You Purchased Your Ticket Yet?

Some of Rob's last words to Sandy before he died were to let the youth, that he ministered to, know that God had not let him down. In his dying moments, as a young man with children and a young wife, he cared about the youth at his church and making sure that they knew that God was faithful, even though their prayers for Rob's healing never came. God had allowed his death to come at an early age.

Kara Tippetts is dying from cancer with four younger children and a husband whom she loves. She just wrote this on her Facebook wall ~

Friends, I'm sorry my blog hasn't been able to keep pace. Your love and support has come through. I love you friends. Today, hospice came; we open a new chapter. Friday, I will have my last appointment with my kind faced oncologist. I cannot imagine it; he and I have become such a team. Pray I would encourage him in his calling. That he wouldn't see my fading as a failure but my sweet wooing towards home.

Her body is shutting down. All the treatments have failed, yet at this moment, all she cared about was her oncologist and encouraging him. Her faith inspires many. Rob's faith inspired many. People see Jesus in us most in our sufferings. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. {Romans 5:3-5}

When we suffer or are nearing death, we see things clearly. The rubber meets the road. This isn't our home. We are strangers and aliens passing through. Michael Pearl says our time here is Grand Central Station. We are all purchasing our ticket to heaven or to hell. It's a blip on the screen of eternity.

Jesus came to set us free. Free from what? Free from sin. Selfishness. Free to deeply love others and serve them. Free from ourselves and free to give our lives away so that others may see Jesus in us. Use your time wisely. Every person in your life has faults and will disappoint you at times. You will disappoint others at times. Forgive easily and often and love others, for love covers over a multitude of sins.

If your husband is unsaved or is walking in sin, think more about his eternal soul rather than your happiness, then make his life as pleasant as you can. Minister to him with your life. Learn to have a meek and gentle spirit that draws him to Jesus.

Today ends another year. Make it your ambition in life to live for Jesus and to serve others by loving them deeply, forgiving them easily, and serving them. 

Happy New Year, dear friends and readers!