Famous Last Words

I'm going to tell you about one of my oddest habits. This may seem morbid, but when I hear that someone has died (whether I know them or not), I like to go to their Facebook wall and read their last postings. To me, it is the modern day equivalent to hearing their last words. Rarely do their words seem to be written by someone who knew their time was up. These statuses are usually filled with frustrations over traffic, or worry about a job, or irritations with someone who annoyed them.

As I read their musings, I can't help but think "what if I were judged by my last status update?" If I were to die tonight, could my friends and family take comfort that I really knew the Lord by reading what I wrote? Don't get me wrong, I know that there are millions of people who wear a mask online, trying to convince us that they are great Christians. However, I also know that from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh (in this case, the hands typeth) and that you know a tree by its fruit. While asking myself this question, I have a tremendous amount of guilt about the times I have let a bad day hurt my witness. I have lashed out and not shown much love in the past, and for that I am sorry.

So why such a peppy blog today, Lindsey? Because today was the funeral of a man I met just a few weeks ago. When we met, I had no idea it would be the first  and last time we would speak. Last week, while on vacation and without warning, he took his last breath on this earth. He was fine one minute, and gone the next. When I heard of his death, a single verse came to mind: "...you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." James 4:14 (New King James Version). We aren't promised tomorrow, in fact we aren't promised the next hour, so let's make our words (spoken and typed) count. You may not have another shot to tell your family you love them. You may not have another day to take back an unkind word you wrote about someone. Treat everyday like it's your last chance to testify to love, grace, and mercy.