Making the Most of Life

This past Wednesday there was a terrible accident in Sta. Bárbara, a nearby town. A man from my church has a furniture store there and one of his workshop/storage spaces caught on fire. Unfortunately, 2 people were not able to get out, and one of those people was his 16 year old nephew, Natanael. Natanael's family doesn't go to CCI, so I never met the kid or his parents, but I do know the man (and his family) that owns the furniture store. And Natanael's family is very close to Pastor Rolando and several other families in the church. So, though he wasn't a congregation member, it still hit a lot of people in the church pretty hard. Natanael's family are all solid believers with an impressive faith. God has given them incredible peace and strength in this time, though I wouldn't be surprised if things get harder for them as life dies down and Nati never comes home, and isn't there for x event, and misses Y's birthday, etc. Please join me in praying for the Villalobos Vargas family and their loved ones.
Thursday I went to Natanael's church with a friend of mine to drop off flowers from CCI. It was really depressing to see the coffin there in the front of the church. The last time I'd seen that was about 8.5 years ago when my Grammy Smith died-so a lot of memories of her came flooding back. But it was also sad to know that the body of a 16 year olf boy was inside that coffin. I heard his mom say that she knew her children were on loan to her from God, and it's true.
Friday I accompanied friends of his (that are also friends of mine) to the funeral. And I was really impressed-the ceremony was very well done. It was a celebration of the life that God gave Natanael. He was in God's hands and now he is in God's presence and that really is something to rejoice about. As the Apostle Paul said, "to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1.21). And Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. I long to be where Nati is: in the PRESENCE of my Savior, Maker, and Lord. God fulfilled his purpose in Natanael's life, and He hasn't finished with me yet, because I'm still here. So this is where I'll be until that happens.
The whole service was worshipful, beautiful and downright inspiring. It got me thinking once more. So often we take our lives for granted-but we really are just a breeze, a breath, "a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow" (Casting Crowns). And so-what am I living for? I am making the most of the time God is gifting me? Here one could easily fall into some kind of legalistic self-lashing I-must-make-myself-holy-and-perfect deal, but I know I can do nothing to make myself be any better. But I dedicate myself wholly to God. I want to live for Him and be purposeful in all I do. May He be glorified in me, and may I grow deeper in my relationship with Him and fall more in love with Him. I want to be focused on the eternal-because when it comes down to it, that's all that really matters. I pray these desires may be yours too. Thanks for reading and thanks for being part of my life. I'm so grateful to God for you!