The Drum - A Divine Rhythm of Promptings to Refocus Priorities

Author: Ron Stock

 

 

On Valentine’s Day I received a group text from a friend in my study group. It was a reminder of the human condition, showing how life is essentially momentary, while we race around worrying about superficial matters. It was the knock-the-wind-out-of-you type of text that refocuses priorities in an instant. The text read-

“yesterday coming home from work, Billy had a heart attack. His heart stopped for twenty minutes. It is beating now on its own but they r worried about brain damage.  Still unconscious. Pray for him, his sister, and son.  He is in icu.  Pray and pray some more”

Today Billy is still in the hospital and showing little sign of brain activity. I expect the family will be confronted with a life support decision in the next few days, a decision no family should ever have to contemplate.  We are praying fervently for a miracle despite a one percent chance of survival from the medical staff. The doctors can’t seem to do anything more, however Billy would not want this in anyone's hands but the Almighty.

I met Billy in a bible study class three years ago and his testimony is profound. He suffered from multiple gunshot wounds several decades ago and lived to find Jesus. When Billy talks during our Monday night study group, the others in the group listen intently because he speaks with this uncanny conviction – not superficial but rather from the heart. The spirit of the sovereign Lord is at work in Billy’s life.

Five days before hearing the news about Billy, another friend who courageously battles fires for a living, lost a colleague. William died in the line of duty falling 40 feet from an icy overpass onto the bridge below.  On that night, Dallas was hit with a 'sneak attack' winter storm. According to news reports, the young firefighter was standing near a traffic accident on the topmost overpass when a speeding vehicle lost traction and pushed William over the bridge. My friend posted a picture of William hugging his boy at a little league game, with the caption-

“This young firefighter gave his life tonight. May he rest in the arms of the Lord forever. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13”

My heart goes out to this family. The son in the picture appeared to be the same age as my young son. Yet another gut wrenching reminder of our human condition - life is essentially momentary, while most of us race around worrying about superficial matters.

Just two weeks before the winter storm, a 16 year old girl from my daughter’s school plummeted 3500 feet to the ground in a skydiving accident. A birthday gift from her father turned into a nightmare when McKenzie's main parachute failed to open on a solo jump. On that day, miraculously, the hand of God reached out and scooped up this precious girl as she spiraled more than a half mile through the sky. She suffered broken bones in her back and broken ribs but she is alive and expected to make a full recovery.

Can you feel the cadence? I liken this stream of tragedies to a beating drum. A divine rhythm of promptings to refocus priorities. A drum echoing how life is essentially momentary as we race around worrying about superficial matters. Live life with purpose because tomorrow may never come.  I’m guilty of living this way. I spend long hours at work ignoring the life happening back at home. Scripture describes this human condition in James 4:14 –

“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

In other words, we are here today and gone tomorrow or better yet, like the morning dew, here this morning and gone this afternoon. Life is short.

What if today was your last day? Would you spend it racing around and worrying about superficial matters? Tell your wife you love her, share the gospel with that person you've been too fearful to approach, swing with your kids, forgive, laugh, sing, serve, pray and pray some more, live outside your comfort zone, but most importantly live with purpose - live intentionally.