The Near Miss

Can you look back on your life and pick out moments that changed your life forever? Not events – my wedding changed my life, positively, of course, but moments? One minute life is heading in one direction, and all of a sudden, in a split-second, everything is changed.

Sometimes it can be a catastrophic moment; other times the moment might have appeared as mundane but later proved to be monumental.

Take a moment to think….

There can also be moments in our lives that had the potential to be life-altering, but passed without incident.

When my son Cody was 5, in his first year of Primary School, I was walking him home from school. Through a couple of quiet, leafy, suburban streets, then a wander along a path across a large expanse of grassed parkland, before we came to a major road – a single lane road, median strip, 4 lane road, median strip, single lane road and then onto the footpath for the short stroll home.

It was a clear, sunny day, and he was sharing with me all the highlights of his day. We strolled through the park, and approached the road and made our way to the pedestrian crossing. We crossed the single lane and waited at the designated spot to cross the 4 lane road once the traffic lights had turned red.

For some reason, Cody looked right, and seeing no cars coming, took off across the road at a gallop. But he hadn’t looked left. If he had, he would have seen 2 lanes of cars driving at 60 kph straight at him.

I could see them.

I yelled “stop”. Tyres screeched as panicked drivers slammed on the brakes.

For once, Cody did as he was told. He stopped. Turned, and ran back to where I waited.

His life was spared my mere centimetres.

One moment I was enjoying the company of my much-loved son. And in a flash, his life could have ended, and my life would have been turned upside down.

Had any of those narrow escapes?

We hear sayings like ‘live this day as if it’s your last’, but we don’t.

We hear sayings like ‘make the most of every moment’, but we don’t.

The Bible says that one moment we will be living life as normal, next moment the Son of Man will come. That eternity is always potentially only a moment away.

Each of us is always only a split-second away from a life altering, or life ending moment.

Make sure you’re right with God.

(And yeah – live today as if it’s your last etc etc)