The question has stuck with me. It’s a question I’ll never know the answer to.
On the night of June 8, on my way home from a day off, I was almost hit by a car. I was shocked. A fast car was behind me with a green light. I jumped in fear. The car stopped, but the middle-aged driver just looked at me as I pointed to the green light. Without saying a word, he drove off quickly.
That night, I had deep thoughts. I had so many “what ifs” and “am I ready to…?” These questions remained in my mind because in two days, I will celebrate my 46th birthday. We only live once on this earth, and every second is precious because we never know when our last day will be. What if I had died at that moment? Am I ready for God to judge my life? Is my life acceptable to God, and will he allow me to live with him in paradise? What would happen to my family and friends?
I had a sleepless night thinking about how I have been living my life. I prayed and thanked God for the gift of life. I am grateful and blessed to have been given a chance to celebrate another birthday. Because of that incident, I constantly remind myself to focus on eternal priorities. As it says in 2 Corinthians 4:18, “So we no longer pay attention to what is seen, but to what is unseen. What is seen lasts only a moment, but what is unseen lasts forever.”
Don’t miss your chances. As we live our lives, we can reflect on the story of Lazarus and the rich man in the Bible, found in Luke 16:19-31. Let’s not be like the rich man, who lacked compassion for others and was greedy for material wealth.
Here are some lessons I learned from that incident: First, to live every day as if it were my last. Always do and give my best because life can’t be rewinded, and think ahead of the consequences before taking action. Always pray and let God lead the way.
Sheryl Tapel Reyes
Love of God Prayer Group
Holy Family Parish,
Choi Hung
