I almost died yesterday. No, it wasn't something dramatic like getting rushed into the ER and having risky surgery to save my life. I was simply walking with my friend Mandy in a nice downtown area and was about to cross the street when this crazy old lady came out of nowhere and blasted through a red light at full speed (not a yellow/red - the light was actually already red for like 2 seconds). Her car was literally inches from my face...and I thank God for His protection. I'll admit, at first I was just thinking, "whew, that was a close call. Thanks, God."...no big deal, move on. But Mandy kept bringing it up and saying "oh my gosh, Cory, what if that car actually hit us??? We'd be dead!!! God seriously protected us back there!"
She is absolutely right. I'm sure you've had instances in your life where something horrible has happened and you think to yourself, "If only _________, then this never would have happened." Unfortunately, we can't go back in time and change that one little thing that would've made things completely different now. Let's say I did get hit by that car, and instead of dying, ended up paralyzed for life. "If only I happened to look before crossing, even though it was supposed to be safe for me to cross, then I wouldn't be paralyzed the rest of my life." But I did look before crossing; God provided my "if only", and this is just one reminder that I owe Him my life, my health.
I've shared this with my small group this past year, but I noticed that many times, people don't express their appreciation for others until they're dead (e.g. at funerals, memorials, etc). We hear so many nice things spoken during eulogies. So many things that would've been incredibly encouraging to the person who's passed away...so why not express your appreciation to your loved ones while they're still with you?
(Yes, small group, this is why we wrote encouragement notes to each other so frequently).
I think a big explanation for this is that we get comfortable and take things for granted. We take it for granted that our loved ones will still be with us tomorrow, when we have no idea whether or not it's true. We don't realize that life is a precious gift from God that can be taken away without any notice whatsoever. We don't realize how blessed we are to have our loved ones around us, to have good health, to be able to take care of ourselves. Therefore, I think it's very wise advice to count your blessings, and to do so often (and then to thank God for them, of course)!
I know it's easy to forget. It's easy to get used to things as they are, and so we don't see a need to appreciate what you have. My mom is definitely someone I get used to and take for granted often. This past year though, I had a horrible dream that she died. The dream felt so real that I woke up crying, and continued to do so, even though I knew it was all a dream. This was God's reminder to me how precious my mom is, and how I should appreciate her and treat her better - she won't be around forever. I'm just thankful that God used this dream to remind me of all this...and that she didn't actually die.
But really everyone, it's so important to let others know you care, and to encourage them. Don't hold back potential compliments or uplifting words. I know it's way easier said than done, but I think it's something that we should all work toward. And thank God for what you have every day! As my local Christian radio host says, "If you have air in your lungs today, thank the Lord, because He is the one who put it there". Let's not wait til we lose something before we appreciate what we have.
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