I have almost died twice in my life. The first time was from pneumonia when I was 4 years old. I was hospitalized for a week and although I remember little of the experience, to this day I have to be diligent about my respiratory health because another case could be fatal. The second time was when I was 18, and I fully recall that experience. It was January 1994, and I was a second semester freshman at the University of South Carolina. I went to class and band practice, ate supper with my family, and studied for a quiz in one of my classes when I suddenly got violently ill. I still don't know exactly what it was, but it hit hard and fast. After a few miserable hours with no improvement, I finally ruled out a stomach virus and asked my parents to take me to the emergency room.
Lying on a bed in the ER with a nurse trying to find a vein in my arm, all I could think of was that I hadn't had a chance to live. I was only 18, had just started college, and my brother was getting married in 3 weeks. It seemed ironic that I would be spared death at age 4 to barely grow up. I definitely conversed with the Lord that night. The main thing I prayed for was a chance to serve Him in this world as an adult. I felt I really hadn't done much for Him up to that point, and had spent all of my life in preparation for a future that I may never have.
The next thing I remember was waking up in my bedroom the next night. More than anything, I was relieved that I woke up at all. Despite being weak and achy from my ordeal, I was overjoyed that my prayers had been answered and that God had a purpose for me in this world.
Anybody that has had a near-death experience will tell you it's the most frightening thing that can happen. Suddenly, all of the little things fall away and you see what's really important. The blessings seem to shine brighter and you start to realize what matters to you the most. One thing I realized is that every day is a gift from God that should never be taken for granted. Every morning is a new opportunity to serve the Lord through the gifts He blessed us with. Every new dawn brings with it the grace of new chances to serve Him and build faith in one another and ourselves.
No matter what you are facing in life, remember, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:23-24 RSV) I know from experience that the same old routine can get mind numbing after a while, and I also know that sometimes you go through seasons where it seems nothing goes right. We all face trials and challenges, and all of our lives are difficult in one way or another. The good news is that, no matter how bad things seem, the Lord is always with us and gives us the gift of another day to set things right. Hard times never last. The Lord graciously forgives the mistakes of yesterday turns them to the forgiven wisdom of today. It may take a while to reach that goal, make that dream come true, or resolve that problem, but you have a chance with every sunrise to take steps toward that goal. If you faithfully persevere, one day you will wake up to a bright sunrise on a clear horizon.
Where there is life, there is hope. If you woke up this morning, the Lord has given you a golden opportunity. Hope gives us the chance to learn from the experiences of the past and move forward. All of us are given this gift with the dawn of each new day.
How will you use this gift today?
Sherri Fulmer Moorer is a freelance Christian/Inspirational writer from Columbia, SC. Her writing focuses on applying faith to everyday living situations, and is based on her own personal experiences and the experiences of those around her. Her goal is to show people that the battles they face in life are shared by others, and how the Lord can use their experiences to build faith. She is the author of Battleground Earth - Living by Faith in a Pagan World (PublishAmerica 2004), which is a book about spiritual warfare and discovering faith in day-to-day living. For additional information, please visit the Battleground Earth web page at http://hometown.aol.com/bgearth/index.html
one time home cleaning Morton Grove ..We want to hear from God so that we may... Read More
While I do hope to avoid arguing the merits or... Read More
Some may ask, is there any truth to have a... Read More
The question isn't, "Is there life after death."Rather, the question... Read More
There is no incident in the life of Moses which... Read More
Rabbi Kushner in his book "When Bad Things Happen to... Read More
A few men and women are universally successful but such... Read More
Uh, oh. I'm in trouble now. I found God. Now... Read More
"We're one, but we are not the same."-Bono, U2Once I... Read More
Let Your Family and Friends Know That You Are A... Read More
Recently, I received a frantic midnight call from one of... Read More
The Question Really picture this in your mind.... Someone tells... Read More
"What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is... Read More
A feeling of fulfillment is something we all seek. Here... Read More
Five verses specify that we are to live by faith.... Read More
I thought I would draw this article up as a... Read More
Why do bad things happen to good people? Surely this... Read More
Do you have a dream, but are waiting for "just... Read More
"Spirit is beyond the void of space. This realm, beyond... Read More
Remember me! It's me! Joseph here in touch with you... Read More
Everyday I am challenged to find the good in things:... Read More
I often ask myself this question. Not in the times... Read More
Now, I will recount in full what happened to me... Read More
To a shaman a kachina isn't really a doll or... Read More
I know eyebrows are probably raising about now, but let... Read More
eco-friendly cleaning service Glencoe ..There was this TV commercial a couple of years back... Read More
Luke 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as... Read More
The Birth of Jesus Christ18 Now the birth of Jesus... Read More
Angels, those divine beings of love and light, are here... Read More
70% of people who send me feedback at http://www.insideoutmusic.net tell... Read More
When the storms in your life are raging, just believe,... Read More
Whadda ya know?Seriously. With absolute certainty, what do you know?... Read More
I have a big mouth. If you have read my... Read More
What does it mean to be comfortable in your own... Read More
Back in the days of the old law of Moses,... Read More
Sometimes trying to be spiritual holds us back from actually... Read More
The Orisha are the Messengers of Oludumare, the God/dess of... Read More
In an edition of Reader's Digest, I stumbled upon a... Read More
Universal Law is an invisible influence in every individual's life,... Read More
The possibility of almost 400 Old Testament prophesies coming to... Read More
An Illuminatus Speaks:You will have to decide if this Illuminatus... Read More
One thing that Jesus was NOT - was flashy. When... Read More
Sounds like a tall order doesn't it? But I think... Read More
Vanity - it's easy to mask, easy to forget, and... Read More
For some of us, spirituality is considered a religion, and... Read More
If you're going to listen to anyone you're going to... Read More
As you will see I the Scripture verse I will... Read More
Let us face reality squarely in the face by acknowledging... Read More
Anyone who has invested time, energy and effort into finding... Read More
If we are honest with ourselves, we would have to... Read More
Spirituality |