Don't make me come get you

My dad died this week 2 years ago so he's been on my mind a lot lately. This morning while I was in the shower at the gym I was thinking about the life he could have had. Honestly, and I try not to really think about this too much, I don't know that he was saved. Salvation had definitely been shared with him by me and I'm sure others, but whether or not he committed to a relationship with Christ I don't know. He got married and had a family - twice - and neither one was especially happy. He had two children and then another one, but never seemed to really locate the fatherhood gene. He had a career and good money - twice - but it never made him happy. He died with a big house lots of cars and tons of toys, but you'd have to really try to convince me that he was fulfilled.

It breaks my heart like in half that my dad could be in Hell right now with Satan himself. And even though I know the only way to heaven is by faith in Christ, the human side of me wants to shout out, "But he was a good guy! Everyone's friend! He did good things for people. He tried!" It's not enough. And whether he is in Heaven or Hell I'll have to wait to find out, but either way, it's too late.

How many people right this second are on the road that think is leading them home that one quick accident later will take them to their final destination? How many people are ready for that?

I had a pastor in Kentucky that did on a sermon called Don't make me come get you. I wish I had a copy. It was like the best sermon ever. And unfortunately I can't remember all of it, but the bottom line was we'd rather stay with the Lord then make him come after us to bring us back home. We may not like his chosen method of bringing us back to him!

I didn't really know my dad for most of the last decade of his life well enough to know if he had a wake up call, but I'm pretty sure the Lord was always trying to bring him to Himself. It's just the way He is! And I'm certainly not saying my dad died because he didn't heed the wake up calls - that makes no sense. What I am saying is I think God had a whole lot more for my dad that he never chose to experience.

And it's pretty much gotten me thinking about all the Lord must have for my life that I am not at the moment experiencing, all that I am missing because I'm not heeding his warnings and doing all I know to fall more deeply in love with the one who created me. I don't ever want him to have to come find me, I want to be right behind him. I don't want him to have to go far to look for me.

I am committing in 2009 more than ever to live a life above reproach most importantly in my life with the Lord. I want him to be my number one priority more so than ever before.

Brenda