The meaning of life in 8 words...

Know Christ. Know Life. No Christ. No life.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Dying is part of living

Yesterday I was driving to work at ~6.45am. The song "Mighty to Save" (by Reuben Morgan) playing in the background. My focus was on the road but also thinking about work. While this is happening, my mind is automatically absorbing the conditions and the other cars around me. Indicate right to turn right at the next intersection. Red traffic light. Stop. Singing "my God is mighty to save." Green light. Go. Traffic jam. Singing "Forever the Author of Salvation. He rose & conquored the grave." Give way to people trying to get into my lane. The right lane is jammed for some reason. A double semi-trailer parked in the middle of the road. Singing "Jesus conquored the grave." Traffic standstill. Then I saw him. This was not what my mind was prepared for.

Lying there on the road. Red liquid. Paint? A red sporty motorcycle. But no wheels. Broken up into about 3 pieces. More red liquid. BLOOD. Cars standstill. Another large semi-trailer on the other side of the road completely parked across the road stopping the on-coming traffic. Why? Some people getting out of their cars. A white sheet. BLOOD.

Traffic standstill. My car was parked directly parallel to him. The unknown, un-named man lying there. On his back. On the road. Surrounded by blood. Covered with a white red stained sheet. His leg protruded out from one side. Bare skin ripped open. Clothes torn and ripped. BLOOD. A still arm lay above the leg. Hand facing sky-ward. Palm slightly opened. Torn. Broken. BLOOD.

People standing around. I could not see the head. But my eyes couldn't get off the hand. Open. Outstretched. My hand automatically lowers the volume of the CD player and reaches for my mobile. Dial 000. The voice "Emergency services. Police, Fire or Ambulance?" Police please. "What city & state has the incident occurred in?" Brisbane, Queensland. "Thank you. Transfering you to Police services."

A new voice. Plain. Mediochre. "Police services. Please state the incident." The leg is still in my vision. The hand still outstretched. Hi. I'm on Fairfield Rd. I have just turned off Muriel Av, near the Rocklea markets. There is a man lying on the road bleeding profusely. A motorbike accident. The bike is broken in 3 pieces. I cannot see the wheels. I cannot see if there are any other cars damaged. Pause. The voice again. This time concerned, worried, troubled, a sense of urgency. "Can you tell me the condition of the person?" No maam. I am still in my car. Traffic is moving very slowy. He is lying on his back on the road. There is a white sheet splattered with blood. His left leg is ripped open. The clothes are torn. The left arm is lying above it -outstreched, palm-up slightly opened, torn. Bleeding. My voice is starting to break.

My eyes are starting to feel wet. Seeing the blood. Seeing the faces of the people standing around. I don't need to see the man's face. If he's alive, it's nearly over for him. The voice again. "Please state the exact location of the incident. "Fairfield Rd. Between the Muriel Av & Tennyson Memorial Drive intersections. "What suburb? Fairfield?" Suburb? My mind is blank. I cannot remember. I don't know. It is near the Rocklea Markets. The Brisbane Golf course runs on this side of Fairfield Road. I'm sorry I don't know where I am...

Swallowing hard. Breathing deeply. Trying to keep my voice level. The voice"Thank you for you help. Police are on their way now." You're welcome. A whisper. Click. Automatically indicate left. Turn left. Drive. Away. Away from the mangled motorbike. Away from the white-red sheet. Away from the bystanders. Away from the leg. Away from the outstretched hand. Away from the BLOOD.

"Shine Your light & let the whole world see. We're singing for the glory of the Risen King. Jesus..." The song. It's still going in the background. I switch it off. Silence. Driving automatically. Paying extra attention to the road. Pull into a park & start work ~20 minutes after the accident.

Lab coat on. Gloves. Set-up...Feel sick. Shaking. Can't concentrate. Feel nauseous. All I see is the hand. The leg. The sheet. The BLOOD. How could someone leak so much blood? Not knowing if he has survived or what the police & ambulance are doing, I think Where has that person gone? Where is he spending eternity? Tears. Shaking. Breathe deeply & calm down. Call home. I need to speak to mum or dad. Even though I am calm, as soon as mum hears my "Hello mum" voice she knows something is wrong. In a rush of words I tell her. And then dad. Immediately he prays. And I honestly feel so much better.

I get my work done within 5 hours.

Driving home I flip the CD on again. "My God is mighty to save. He is mighty to save. Forever the Author of Salvation. He rose & conquored the grave. Jesus conquored the grave." It's still on! But as I listen to the last lines something I've always known hits me hard. Only God knows the destination of a soul. I cannot save anyone. Even if I got out & tried to help that man I cannot give him life. I may be able to cover some of the external wounds which others had done, but we cannot stop the internal bleeding. We cannot restore him to life.

A forty year old man. Collided with one of the trucks. His physical body could not stand up to the physical mistreatment it had experienced in the accident. He died at the scene.

Yet Christ survived the most painful, blood-leaking death possible on the cross. Jesus died. Jesus was entombed. But death could not have any control over the Son of God. The perfect one. He rose and conquored the grave. Jesus is alive. And it only through Jesus that each one of us can access God Almighty.

I do not know where the dead motorcyclist has gone to spend eternity. My hope is that he knew and served Jesus. Only God knows whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. It was quite challenging to see the accident unfold. But it also is quite motivating in knowing the answers to the questions "Where will you spend eternity?" "Do you know Jesus?" More importantly "Are you confident that Jesus knows you?"
Truly My God is mighty to save. He is the Author of Salavation. Because only He conquored the grave. Yes Jesus conquored the grave.

There is only one life to live. You do not know when yours will be up. This is the time to assure and secure your eternal home. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the Life. No one can come to God except through me" (John 14:6). Choose Christ that you may live.
...how long is eternity?...and where will you spend it?
anneline