"Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow,
for what is your life?  It is even a vapor that
appeareth for a little while and then vanisheth away."
- James 4:14

I've been through seven plagues and I've learned a lot about being a Christian.  God has been teaching me and I'm seeing great spiritual growth as a believer.  I've even learned the most important truth, right?  It takes commitment.  I'm thinking at this point that a bestseller is in my future, or, maybe I'll be asked to star in a Super Christian movie. (ha ha).  I think I know everything I need to know about living the Christian life.

Seldom right and wrong again.

About 11:00 p.m. on a Saturday night, a friend and I got into his car and headed for his cousin's house.  The long drive on the rural highway to her house seemed particularly pleasant that night.  A brisk, autumn breeze was blowing as we drove through the quiet countryside.  Most everyone that lived in the area was asleep by this time and we were surprised to see a light on at his cousin's house.  We began turning from the highway across the center line towards the driveway, as I commented, "I guess she's still..."

"Screeeeeeeeeeeeeek!" The sound of squealing brakes interrupted my comments.  It was immediately followed by a deafening crash.  Suddenly, our car was upside down and I saw sparks light up all around me.  The sickening sound of metal scraping asphalt filled my ears.  The car flipped again and I was thrown through the front window.

The next thing I recall was staggering to my feet and finding myself in a ditch several feet from an incredible accident.  Our car was in flames in a pile of twisted metal.  I saw my friend face down near the driver side rear tire.  I hurried to him and turned him over only to see that he was lying in a pool of blood.  More blood flowed from a huge cut on his forehead, and I just knew he was dead.

By this time people were gathering around us.  An ambulance was called.  As I stood there in shock I noticed that everyone was staring at me.  I looked down and saw that I was covered in battery acid.  The battery to our car had exploded on impact.  But, that wasn't what they were staring at.  My nose had been broken and it was swollen unrecognizably.  A huge cut laced the inside of my upper lip.  Glass was embedded throughout my face.

I asked, "What happened?"  Someone from the car behind us said, "Someone tried to pass five cars at once and didn't realize you were turning."  They had slammed into us at approximately 75 miles per hour.

IT SEEMED LIKE AN ETERNITY during the ambulance ride to the hospital.  I didn't know the condition of my friend.  I didn't even know my own condition.  I was in shock.

When I arrived at the hospital I heard my friend screaming in pain in the next room.  At least he was still alive!  Then, it was my turn to scream.  As I had been thrown through the window, glass had embedded itself deep inside my nasal cavity.  A doctor had to take tweezers and go up through my badly swollen and broken nose and pull the glass out, piece by piece.  IT SEEMED LIKE AN ETERNITY as he re-entered my nose time after time until an hour later he was finished.

In time, my friend and I both healed.  We had dodged a bullet.  The Lord had spared us.  The State Trooper who worked the scene said that when he arrived he assumed there were no survivors.  It was that bad.

God taught me something that was more important than the last lesson I had learned.  More important than commitment?  Yes.  God taught me, "You only get one life.  You better make the most of it."

James said it this way, "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow, for what is your life?  It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little while and then vanisheth away." Christian, you and I get only one shot down here.  We only get one life to share the Gospel with the lost. 

Only one life to encourage the brethren. 

Only one life to point others towards Christ. 

Only one life to serve the Lord with. 

Only one life is ours to give to the One who gave life to us in the first place.

One of my favorite verses of scripture is John 17:4.  I believe with all of my heart that this is what God desires of us in a nutshell.  Jesus, praying to the Father, says, "I have glorified Thee on the earth:  I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do."  God would say to us this morning, "You've only got one life and this is what I want you to do with it:  Glorify me and finish what I give you to do."

Oh, that when He calls my name, when He says,

"Come home, child.,"  when my life here is through, I hope I can pray that prayer, "I have glorified Thee on the earth: 

I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do."

And as long as we are still alive...

...we've got work to do.

Let's get busy today, shall we?

Have a "Wonderful DAY in Christ,"
Jimmy D. Brown
\o/ Praise Jesus!