by David Scott Robertson
I don't bet.
But if I did
I'd bet that 100% of every one of you reading this (including me)
Are guilty of the exact same thing -
Taking important things and people for granted.
Who among us has not from time to time
Taken the obvious for granted?
The fact that our
Digestive system,
Endocrine system,
Respiratory system,
Circulatory system,
And immune system that make our bodies work properly
Day after day,
Year after year
Is a fact that not only escapes the conscious thought of nearly everybody
But rarely do words come out of our mouths of gratitude
Concerning these indispensable body systems.
That's just one example.
That doesn't even touch blessings like
Our spouses,
Our precious children (or grandchildren),
Our jobs and the ability to make money,
Our warm homes,
Transportation,
Sanitation,
Adequate food (and taste buds to enjoy it),
An imperfect government that prevents anarchy and chaos,
And the list could go on endlessly…
Who can truthfully say
"I have nothing for which I am thankful for?"
One anonymous third-world country citizen put it all in perspective for me
When he was quoted as saying,
"I complained that I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet."
What, then, should our response be to the staggering truth
That we are blessed and more often than not we take it for granted?
Guilt?
Condemnation?
Neither.
I think the answer,
At least for me,
Can be found in the title I have given this writing,
"Thank You, Lord, For Another Day of Life!"
You see,
The title is really a quote from a friend and former co-worker of mine.
In his B.C. (Before Christ) "pre-saved" days,
My friend was lost and undone without God or His Son.
One night,
My friend and co-worker changed identities.
That particular night he was transformed into a drunk driver.
As the statistics grimly report,
An absurd number of drunk drivers hurt themselves and/or others.
My friend was to become a statistic.
Alcohol robbed my friend of the ability to control himself or his vehicle safely,
And he crashed resulting in a broken neck.
Lying in the hospital
Precariously dangling
Somewhere between life and somewhere between death,
My friend met a Great Physician.
His name was Dr. Jesus Christ, M.D. (Master of Divinity).
Dr. Jesus ordered multiple injections of mercy mixed with grace
Into the decimated body (almost a corpse) of my friend.
While in this incapacitated state,
My friend clearly understood the Doctor's most grave concern,
Far more important than the minor issue of a broken neck…
The most life-threatening issue my friend was facing at that moment
Was the strong possibility of his spirit being expelled from his body into a Christ-less eternity.
My friend understood the severity of the dilemma he faced
And right then and there,
In a pool of his own blood
He accepted the Blood of Jesus Christ
As an atonement for his sins.
The spiritual blood transfusion had taken place
And my friend with the broken neck became spiritually whole.
In the months that followed,
My friend began to regain his physical strength progressively.
His "halo" neck support collar
Served as a conversation-starter and visual aid to his amazing testimony.
As I recall,
From that point on,
I never heard my friend and co-worker pray out loud
But that the first words that came out of his mouth when he began to pray was
"Thank You, Lord, For Another Day of Life!"
His heart overflowed with a recurring theme of gratitude
The sanctity of life was rediscovered.
His daily attitude became one of simple, pure, and heartfelt appreciation
Of the life of God in him and the gift of life through him.
The sobering thought of what could have been was a powerful motivator to live right.
And the screws that fastened the hardware to his head to support his mending neck
Were a reminder of the nails that held the body of his Lord and Savior upright on the cross.
The worst thing that had ever happened to my friend
Was ironically the best thing that had ever happened to my friend.
Out of tragedy God brought triumph.
A sinner had come home because of a thump on the head.
My friend went on to complete his neck therapy,
Return to work,
Eventually he went on to meet and marry a beautiful Christian woman
And currently is in part-time ministry for the Lord.
Now the devil's mad
Because he lost a lad
That he thought he had!
And that makes me glad!
"Lord, help me not to take my friend, or this day, for granted!" Amen.
DSR
1/1/01