Death death death alive

I was talking with Berenice often this week. She's busy doing SYFC events, leadership camps, Nav camp and activities, Kenjitsu martial arts and lots of other stuff all at the same time. And now school is coming up next week... o.O cue horror music.

She said her POV on life has changed a bit since her few camps the last few weeks this holiday. She is seeing how temporal things are now. There are other more important eternal things to learn and worry about. Some of these include God, His word and the souls of all people (and that's why we always have witnessing as much as possible; can be done by life or by lips, to anyone near to you). I encouraged Berenice all the more. Recently my cat died. An ex-classmate of mine in sec sch 4 years ago also died in a NS Bedok camp
toilet last mth, prob from the vigorous training to become an elite infantry (he was really skinny from the last time I saw him), and with the nearing of Good Friday, it was death death death. I pondered a bit about mortality too and found myself trapped by the clutches of time. It was a total shit that one person may have 85 years to live while another 10, and still others only a month after birth or a day.

Our bible leader even made us think over the questions: where would you be going if you died today? How many people can safely say "In heaven"? I know I can, but how many would be sure? If it was Judgment Day today and Jesus came back, the question "would I be caught with the Bible and doing God's work or would I be doing something else?" became more real for me. I delved into the Word more fervently and tried to see every moment fellowshiping and witnessing as the little time I probably had till I went to work in May or soon. I wouldn't have the privilege of running around or doing those or learning what I'm learning about the Bible and God's characteristics so I'm beginning to really enjoy the process now before I MIA.

I recently watched "In Time" directed by Andrew Niccol, starring Amanda Seyfried, Justin Timberlake and Cillian Murphy. An exciting show to put a new perspective on life. In this dystopia, time is money, a literal currency. It was very much an emphasis on treasuring time and how we spend it, every second and minute and hour 'cos each person may boil down to only one day to live. And if we had that one day left, how would we be living it? Probably spam that bucket list right away! Do what we want, say what we need to say. Picture it, how would you live your last day?

Now apply that last day principle to everyday. Today, tomorrow, the day after. Look back on yesterday and ask God if it was well spent for him. With that thought, especially with Jesus when he began his ministry with a timeline of 3 years to fulfill his mission on earth, he lived everyday fully and well, perfectly and sinless. He ran the race till the end and ended well. Even after death he was still trying to ensure his disciples lived well.

The Guards’ Report
^"11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. ¹² When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, ¹³ telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ ¹⁴ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” ¹⁵ So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

The Great Commission
¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew's gospel ends there. Jesus was always on his toes. When we begin to live day by day more and enjoy the moment, procrastination is less. Priority for things that waste time has shifted to eternal things. We can and should live each day as if they were our last; this way we appreciate everything around us. We are glad we are alive the next day. Berenice once prayed before QT, "Dear Father, thank God we are still alive this morning..." even though we saw each other only the day before. How true and how inspiring. We never know when we will be taken home to be with the Lord, we can only just do his work and trust his timing for us =)