You Never Know...

You never know when you get out of bed what the day holds for you. There could be an unexpected life-changing event, or even a life-ending event. You just don’t know, but you should be prepared.

I was shocked when I heard the news of the derailment of the Metro North Hudson Line train at Spuyten Duyvil in The Bronx. I live along the Hudson Line and take the train when I go into New York City, so I am familiar with the turn where the derailment occurred. Four dead and 60+ people injured at a place that is named “Spitting Devil.” An uneventful train ride early on a Sunday morning turns into a nightmare. You just never know.

You never know when you get on that train, board that airplane, start the engine of your car, step onto a crosswalk, or even send your kid off to school. Life is full of surprises, not all of them pleasant. So what’s my point?

My point is that you should be in relationship with God so that when the unexpected happens, God will give you the strength to deal with it and get through it. Being right with God doesn’t inoculate you from life’s tragedies, but it will help you in and through them. And if one of these tragedies happens to be a life-ending event, having that relationship with God gives you the assurance of being with him when your earthly life is ended.

The world is a dangerous place, with most of that danger resulting from people’s wrongdoing. Texting while driving puts others in jeopardy, as does impaired driving due to alcohol (DUI) and drugs. This callous disregard for others is sin. Punching innocent people on the street is sin. Notice, by the way, that these low-lifes punch old people and women mostly.

The world isn’t going to change very much, but you can change. While the rest of the world is deteriorating, you can rise above it by getting closer to God and living your life according to biblical principles. Just think of how much better the world would be if more people did that.