Life is Fragile

On Monday morning I heard, "Mom, lots of chicks are dead!" Seeing this was a 7 year old telling me this my first thought was maybe 'lots' was actually 'a couple' to a little boy. So I went to the chicken pen to find out. There at the door I found our 9 year old, Caleb crouched down weeping. As I took a quick scan of the chicken pen I soon discovered that yes, there were 'lots' of chicks dead. They were lying all over and theothe half, the live ones were cuddled in a corner. I asked Caleb what had happened and he told me that while he was filling their water Jamie, our 1 year old puppy, had been in there and did what dogs do naturally. It wasn't quite my ideal way of starting a morning. After disciplining the dog and cleaning up the mess I had a chance to talk with Caleb. He of course was feeling it was all his fault and felt very bad. It really wasn't his fault, I had done the same thing when I got water not even thinking that Jamie would do such a thing. She has to go in a building and then into another part just to get to the chicks. Caleb had said through tears how cute it had been when he fed them just a few minutes before and they all came running to the feed. And now so many were dead. I took this as anopportunity to talk with him about how life is like that. One second we can be alive and strong and the next God may call us home to be with Him. Every breath that we take each day is such a gift, every beat of our heart is such a gift. Life is so fragile. We talked about how we need to always be ready to meet Jesus because we never know when that will be. As I thought about this life lesson more later I thought about all our regrets of the experience; that we hadn't 'introduced' Jamie to the chicks so she would know they were our pets, that we didn't put a better latch on the door....Just to have those few minutes back, to do it over. And then I thought about my life. Will I have regrets? Will I just want a few minutes back to make things right? Will I be ready? When I meet Jesus face to face will he say to me, "Come on in faithful servant? or will he say to me "Depart from me, I never knew you." How important it is to live every moment of every day as if it were my last. How about you, are you ready?

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?

and in thy name have cast out devils?

and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you:

depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Matthew 7:21-23