At the Doorstep of Eternity

Why do we live in the hurry of the temporal? Why is everything else important—where I am going, what I am doing—instead of the people around us? Life is so short. And really, as the “saying” goes, only what is done for eternity is what counts.

I was at the grocery store tonight and got in line to check out. The lady behind me had her hands full as I was beginning to put my items on the runner.

“Would you like to go ahead, ma’am?”
“Oh yes! Thank you!” She thanked me three times before leaving.

After some small talk with the cashier, I offered him a tract to which he accepted but then in defense he stated, “I have my own church.” Hey, no problem. Who was actually becoming a quickly, growing burden on my heart was the man behind me in line. I had seen him around the store getting his groceries. That man has cancer. His skin, his hair, --his eyes—all told this unavoidable fact. I looked to see what he was buying and it was all bright fruits and vegetables. Interesting how at a point like this in life no one has to persuade you to eat right. Offering the tract to the man, he looked at me and gave a genuine, sincere, “thank you”. Thank you's are hardly my goal; it’s the state of the soul that pleads for our compassion, for my compassion. I keep replaying his eyes, his look when he thanked me; …and I have been pleading with the Lord that He would have mercy on his life. May that man read the tract and know Jesus Christ as his Saviour!