Life Goes On

By: Randal Myers

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You've heard the old joke. A man goes out to play his weekly round of golf with the guys on Saturday morning. His wife becomes anxious because he's an hour, two hours and finally three hours later than usual returning home. In great distress the wife runs out to meet her husband when she finally sees his car turn in the driveway. She hugs him and says, ìHoney, I was so worried. Why are you so late coming home?î The husband says, ìYou wouldn't believe it. We were on the third hole when Harry had a heart attack and died right there on the green.î ìOh, my!î exclaimed the wife, ìSo you were at the hospital all this time?î ìNo,î he said, ìThere wasn't any need to go to the hospital. He was dead on the spot.îìSo why were you so late coming home?î she said. ìWell it just took a long time to finish the round. You know for fifteen holes it was, make a stroke...drag Charlie...make a stroke...drag Charlie.î

Well it's not a joke any more. You might have seen an article in the paper or, like me, heard about it on Paul Harvey News and Comments. At the Swiss Village Mobile Home Park in Winter Haven during the annual league tournament one of the resident golfers had a fatal heart attack on the sixteenth green.

Someone covered the body in a sheet, reported the tragedy...then they continued the round. Golfers, most of whom were residents and friends, who finished the fifteenth hole simply bypassed the sixteenth green and went on to the seventeenth tee. At least they had the decency not to take him with them for the rest of the round.

"Death is an inescapable part of life..."

Humorous for some, tragic for others, especially family members, this story does underscore an indisputable truth...life goes on. A soldier dies in Iraq...life goes on. A horrendous tidal wave wipes out entire villages...life goes on. Floods and mud slides kill whole families...life goes on. Someone we know and love expires...life goes on. Death is an inescapable part of life...an inevitable circumstance.

The Bible confirms the concept in Hebrews 9 when it says in verse 27: "Just as man is destined to die..." These words state the obvious, but as you continue to read the passage more truth comes to light. "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."

Several facts and encouraging truths are presented in this passage.

We face death only once.
Judgment follows.
Jesus' sacrifice cleans our slate
He will return to reward those who are found cleansed by his blood.

None of us will escape death but we all can escape the ìsting of deathî through the blood of Jesus and by holding up our end of covenant responsibility. "He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:5-7)

For those who anxiously await Jesus' return, it doesn't end at death...life goes on!

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