A Brush with Death

One month ago I suffered a heart attack.  I had a ninety percent blockage in the Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery – the infamous “widow maker.” At fifty-five and thinking I was in the best health I had been in for years I was shocked.  Kudos to the excellent emergency room staff in Gloucester as well as the medical professionals in Newport News who responded quickly and effectively to protect me from even more serious injury; they were the best.

Life suddenly came to a screeching halt and my perspectives changed concerning everything.  Not only was I unprepared for the heart attack and my two stents; I was also unprepared for the thoughts and feelings which followed.  I became more acquainted with fear and panic than I thought possible.  God has been faithful throughout the entire ordeal to show He is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble (Ps. 46: 1).

 A brush with death can certainly prompt a reevaluation of many life priorities.  Foods that were “must haves” just weeks ago seem less appetizing these days as I adjust to a more heart healthy diet.  The exercise I was too busy to schedule now has top billing.  The biggest changes, though, are the internal ones.

 I have a new sense of empathy for others who are suffering physically or struggling emotionally.  Empathy is one of those things you think you have but don’t possess because you have not yet walked a mile in the other person’s shoes.  I always wanted to be empathetic with hurting people as their pastor but only experience qualifies you to show empathy.  How much has my empathy quotient risen?  Well, the other day I found myself feeling sorry for the cat struggling with a hairball!

 I am much more aware of my mortality.  A keen sense of how fragile our lives really are burns into our soul the raw realism that none of us are as indispensible as we may think we are.  Teach us to number our days carefully, so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts (Ps. 90: 12).

 The urgency of the gospel is much more focused following my brush with death.  Puritan Richard Baxter famously journaled, "I preached as never sure to preach again and as a dying man to dying men." No saint seeking souls is guaranteed tomorrow to do the work of an evangelist.  It may literally be now or never for any of us when we share time with those who do not yet know our Christ.  What’s more, the person reading this column who has not come to Christ for salvation is assured only this moment to turn from sin and trust Christ for the forgiveness of sin now and the promise of heaven forever.

 Life is uncertain but eternity need not be!  When we do more than brush death we can do so confident that we shall live forever with our precious Lord in His heaven.

 

This post originally appeared in the Daily Press.

Discipline

 I awakened Monday morning to the news that cycling legend Lance Armstrong has been stripped of all seven Tour de France titles and banned from the sport for life.  It is one of the most stunning disciplines ever handed down by anybody in the world of sport.  Some, including Armstrong himself, may quibble with the allegations or the discipline meted out by the agency but the story is a powerful reminder to everyone that they must play by the rules.

The same principle may be found in the Word of God.  Paul was quite conspicuously a sports enthusiast and frequently wove sports metaphors into is writing.  This was particularly true in writing to the Corinthian church because the isthmus of Corinth was the scene of the famous Isthmian games.  The competition included horse, foot, and chariot-racing; wrestling, and boxing. The prize was a garland of pine leaves. Two sports images are played by Paul in First Corinthians 9 to stress the self discipline the Christian athlete must impose upon himself if he or she is to compete successfully in the spiritual arena of life.

The Apostle/Sportsman runs out with the language of thee runner to reinforce his point about competing appropriately.  “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly” (1 Corinthians 9: 24-26 NIV).

Paul takes a picture from the world of boxing and gets in a nice jab for the importance of self discipline in the Christian life.  “I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Corinthians 9: 27 NIV).

Lance Armstrong is a warning to everyone competing in the race of life that no matter how successful you appear to be and what others feel you have accomplished there remain humiliating penalties for breaking the rules.  Armstrong drew a major following even among those who have no real interest in cycling because of the feel good story of his victory over cancer that started in his testicles and spread to his lungs and brain.  Nevertheless one cannot rely on past success to guarantee victory today or tomorrow.

Discipline and determination are vital parts of the discipleship process in all our lives.

This post originally appeared in the Daily Press.