Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Christian, Wake Up!

I like to be in control. Last night I realised yet again how helpless we really are. Growing up in America, you somehow have this feeling that all things can be controlled and that circumstances can be solved by thinking about what to do. We have be working on a landscaping project. We had some drainage problems, so last night we were digging a trench. It was getting late, and it was rather dark. Someone pointed out that there was a fox next to our house under the bush watching us. We were all rather tired of the whole digging thing, so Dad took off chasing the fox. He was almost by the house when somehow he tripped and fell straight down our window well head-first. There was a brief second of shock as everyone saw this happening, but then my siblings took off running and screaming. I'm more the type that just freezes up and can't do anything. Finally I ran for the house to get the phone. I could hear Dad yelling, so I knew he was at least conscious. It's at times like this that you realise how totally out of control we are, how fragile life is, and what really matters. It's at times like this that you'll often hear people say, "I actually prayed." Someone called 911 just as I looked down into the hole. My dad was on his back with his feet up in the air. His left ankle was snapped right off. His leg and his foot made a 90 degree angle with his foot going to the left. Ugg. The ambulance and firetruck came and somehow got him out of there. They got him to the hospital where they found that his ankle/leg was broken in four different places. They had to do a surgery within six hours to clean it out because the bone had been sticking out and he had been cut. They did so, and it went well. He will be going in for surgery again tomorrow to try to get it all straightened out. He will have to have surgery again next week. With him going in head first, it is amazing that he doesn't seem to have anything wrong with his neck or back. As I was trying to get to sleep last night, I started thinking about how the only certainty we have is the certainty of uncertainty. Why is it as soon as something like this happens, we're all on our knees praying? When we have had things pretty easy recently, we start thinking that we can live autonomously and we feel like we're in control of everything. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying we shouldn't be praying when something traumatic happens, but shouldn't we feel just as dependant on God whether we're in some major crisis or not?

Maybe this incident is my wake up call.

9 comments:

David said...

We'll be praying.

Dr. Russell Norman Murray said...

Abbey,

I am sorry your Dad was hurt and I pray now for full recovery. I sense you have a very close family (and church friends) and I also pray that the family will be very much comforted.

A few years ago, the only deceased persons I knew were my grandparents. In the last few years that number has risen. It is important that persons ponder on the concept that once we die, we face the creator of all, the God of the Bible (Hebrews 9:27).

As Christian bloggers we have the opportunity to share the truth of judgment after death, and the life that is found in the Biblical Christ.

Russ

Great Googly Moogly! said...

Hey Ab,

CJ and I were so sorry to read about your dad in PC's email this morning. We saw in one e-mail how "uncertain" even our daily activities are for older and younger (Jonathan) alike. We just can't imagine how you all felt seeing your dad fall...ugg isn't even the half of it, I'm sure!

CJ will be writing a real note to everyone this morning and we'll try to get out to see him today or tomorrow. Our prayers, of course, are with him and you all and the doctors who are treating him.

We hope everyone is holding up well, especially the boys (M,P,J). I can't imagine how this has affected them, being so young. At that age our parents seem so invulnerable... .

jj

Michael said...

Wow. I'll be praying for you all.

Jeff said...

Abbey,

Wow, that makes me shiver just reading about it. I hope that everything turns out alright, and that your dad heals up well, and that there are no injuries to the head, neck or back. I said a couple quick prayers for your dad.

You are so very right in that we need to "wake up" and take things seriously. The last paragraph in Russ' comment is very true. My dad died Nov. 14, 2004. My sister had witnessed to him and prayed with him. I asked him if he knew for sure whether he was going to Heaven, and he said yes. However, he had also said at times that he didn't know whether Jesus ever came to this earth or not. He also said he thought he was a good person, and when I told him that all of us were fallen sinners, he seemed to disagree.

So, today, I don't know whether my dad is in Heaven or Hell. Right after he died, I was trying to figure that out, and it was way too torturous, so I had to stop thinking about it. For the first time in my life, prayers for my dad would do no good. That was a hard realization to deal with.

So, yes, every single day, people are dying and going to Hell. Instead of spending so much time at Christian concerts and getting entertained, or spending all our time exclusively with other Christians (i.e., meeting with other Christians for food, music and fun), we should be out warning the lost about Hell, and telling them the Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 100 years from now, we will all be in either Heaven or Hell. And most of the world will be in Hell. So, yes, we need to take this thing seriously.

Tom said...

Any update on your dad?

Abbey said...

They did surgery last Wednesday (I think...it's all kind of a blur at this point) to fix one of the bones which was shattered. They put an external frame on that kept everything in place. He was doing quite well, especially on Monday night. He has been able to get around alright with a walker, but he gets pretty tired. He went in again on Tuesday for his third (and hopefully final) surgery. It went well, but he is in a lot of pain now. We were hoping that he would be able to come home today, but his leg is too swollen to be able to. They originally said that it would be about three months before he could put weight on his leg. The hardest part about this will probably be trying to get him to stay still. He's already getting bored...

Thank you, all, for your support and prayers.

Abbey said...

Hey Jeff,

Just wanted to comment on some of the things that you said.

"Instead of spending so much time at Christian concerts and getting entertained, or spending all our time exclusively with other Christians (i.e., meeting with other Christians for food, music and fun), we should be out warning the lost about Hell,..."

Christians do need each other for growth. We're the living stones of Christ's church, and we cannot function without each other. Therefore, we need just as much time being together (provided it's done to some profit) to encourage and strengthen each other. Without this, we wouldn't be able to go out into the world to tell other people of Christ.

Thanks for the comment.

Jeff said...

Abbey,

Thanks for replying, and I hope your dad recovers quickly.

Christians do need each other for growth. We're the living stones of Christ's church, and we cannot function without each other. Therefore, we need just as much time being together (provided it's done to some profit) to encourage and strengthen each other. Without this, we wouldn't be able to go out into the world to tell other people of Christ.

I completely agree that Christians definitely need each other for growth. The Bible says, 'Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together.' And, when a Christian is continually debating non-Christians, or trying to witness to non-Christians, they very much need to go back to their Christian brothers and sisters to gain encouragement, motivation, asking for prayer, etc.

However, too many Christians tend to spend time exclusively with other Christians, and to largely neglect evangelism. There is too much focus on 'Christian entertainment' and too little focus on street evangelism. I have known Christians that only want to spend time with other Christians, and nobody else. I have also seen churches that have no real interest in evangelism. There should be a balance between the two, which I think is what you meant.