Life as we know it can be altered instantly, permanently, in a moment of time. My wife and I were returning from a trip to Dallas a few weeks ago, on a Saturday afternoon, having helped our son-in-love and daughter move to married housing at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is preparing to begin theological studies and she will resume her teaching career, teaching third grade at JT Stephens Elementary. We stopped for a delicious “breakfast” dinner at Cracker Barrell in Lindale. It was a relaxed time as we had left early enough to have time to stop for a leisurely meal and unhurried trip back. We would get back in time to rest and prepare for worship and service the next morning at church.
After finishing our meal, enjoying another glass of tea (Tina) and coffee (me), we thanked our server, paid our bill and got in the truck to complete our journey home. I think were both feeling satisfied and fulfilled having had the opportunity to be with our children as we all pitched in and got the job done, helped complete some move in tasks, and enjoyed a restful and relaxing trip home. We continued our journey on Interstate 20, having reached our cruising speed of 75 miles per hour, going east towards Longview. We were filled physically with food and even fuller with joy of time with our children and together.
Then in a “moment in time” happened! I looked at the passenger side mirror as I prepared to move back into the right lane, having passed another vehicle just a few miles before. I looked, I saw headlights coming fast, headed straight for the passenger door where my wife, unaware, was sitting comfortably. I veered left and then the car veered right narrowly missing us. What happened next was surreal. This older model Lincoln Marque started swerving back and forth. It crashed into the right guard rail and then careened back to the left, across our lane, crashing into the left concrete wall. Tina, cried, “O Dear God.” Then the car started flipping back across both lanes, flipped at least 3 times, as debris was throne from the car littering the path in the front of us. I was able to slow down and eased to the shoulder on the right. Tina, cried again, “O Lord, have mercy on whoever is in this car!” I made my way to the shoulder, put on my emergency flashers, put the truck in park, looked in my driver side mirror to make sure there wasn’t a car or truck coming, opened my door and begin making my way to the smoking car, stepping over shoes, back pack, glass. I didn’t see anyone at first, as I scanned in front and behind the car, looking for a body that may have been thrown from the car.
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I got close enough to see through the shattered glass, a young man sitting in the passenger seat, with eyes open, very widely opened, with a little blood flowing from his lip, but alive and looking back at me. I went to the drivers side, glass blown completely out of all side windows, and asked, “Are you alright?”. He looked back at me like I was a ghost and said, “Yes, I’m fine.” I went closer and looked into the car, asking if there were any other passengers. I immediately saw what had happened. This young driver had been drinking heavily and was highly intoxicated. I introduced myself and asked his name. He said, “Josiah”. I responded with my name and said, “Josiah, you have a biblical name, and it’s obvious that God was watching out for you. He is not through with you. You just flipped your car three times and your mostly unharmed.: My wife brought me a towel for him to wipe the blood off his lip and chin and we stayed with him until the UT Health Ambulance, Lindale Fire Department and Texas Highway Patrol arrived to offer assistance and handle the situation. Just before the Highway Patrol officer arrived, I handed Josiah a “Steps to Peace” booklet written by Billy Graham and said, “Josiah, put this in your pocket and when you are sober, take it out and read it. It will tell you about a whole new life and way of living with Jesus that is much better than the path you are on now.” I haven’t had any contact with Josiah, but I pray he has read the Good News of the Gospel and has discovered true life, abundant life in following Jesus.
This recent experience reminded me of many other, “in a moment” events that majorly impacted the lives of friends and family. I remember my high school buddy, David. Just ten years after graduation, driving in Houston, and being in an accident that left him paralyzed from the waste down for the past 30 years. I think about this past fall when I was riding bikes with my friend, Charlie, who not seeing the trailer that parked on the side of the road, slammed into the angle iron ramps and broke three vertebrae in his neck. He was told by his surgeon that he should be paralyzed from the neck down and his personal physician told him that in over 30 years of practicing medicine he had never seen anyone survive the injuries Charlie incurred through this accident. Thankfully Charlie is not only alive today, but has full use of all his limbs and able to function at a high capacity. This past Sunday, after returning from a restful week of vacation, I got a call from my mother that my father was in the Emergency Room because he swallowed a piece of meat earlier in the day and it was lodged in his esophagus. Then on Tuesday, I got a call from one of my daughter’s work associates telling me, “A…Mr. Zackary…Kayla cut her wrist while working. She passed out. It’s a pretty bad cut and she will need stitches. Can we take her to the Emergency Room?” All of these events occurred, “in a moment.” Some were more life-altering than others. Almost all of them had the potential of being life ending. I’m sure you can quickly think of “in the moment” events that you have experienced or a friend, family member or stranger you know has experienced that was either “Life-altering or ending.”
The Apostle Paul shares with us in 1 Corinthians 15:51–52 (ESV): 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. Paul is writing about the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection and the promise of his return to take home all who are His children, His followers. Just like the “in the moment” events that I shared that altered lives temporarily or permanently, this “in the moment” even more, “twinkling of an eye” event will alter life not just permanently but eternally. The Good News for those who are Christ’s, His children, His followers, is that this moment, in the twinkling of an eye, event will bring about a change, an alteration so that they will live forever, secure, safe, protected from any other negative, life altering, life ending event. They will exchange a perishable body for an imperishable, a mortal existence for an immortal existence. Will they be changed by this event? Yes! Forever changed into an eternal being, forever unstained by sin, forever untouched by any sickness, illness or life altering or taking accident , forever unaffected by death, physical or spiritual.
Paul quoted truths from the Old Testament prophets Isaiah and Hosea:
1 Corinthians 15:54–55 (ESV): 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
No wonder he then concluded this resurrection chapter with celebratory and encouraging words of praise and admonition:
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (bold mine)
Wow! How blessed we are to live in an “in the moment” world that sometime brings great blessings but often great tragedy with a confidence, peace, assurance and comfort that no matter what “in this world moment” we face the assurance of Christ’s resurrection and return, “in a moment, a twinkling of an eye” gives us confidence and assurance of victory that no matter what we face in this earthly life, we are already “good”. We have eternal hope so we can live with steadfast consistency, immovable motivation, abounding in our service to King Jesus. Because of the “in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet” return of Christ, we don’t have to fear any current “in the moment” event. Christ’s return, “in a moment” will trump all other devastating “in a moment” in events in this life!
RESTORING HOPE 