What's Important

Last Sunday my Pastor asked a question at the beginning of his sermon.  "Who wants to go to heaven?"  Well you can bet you sweet Aunt Betsy that every hand flew up.  Then he asked, "Who wants to go right now?"  A nervous twitter of laughter but not so many hands.  Then suddenly yesterday, our children's Pastor, Randy went to be with the Lord.  Just like that.  He had a massive heart attack and was ushered straight into the arms of Jesus.  Forty-two years old.  Sweet, precious wife.  Three wonderful children.  He taught VBS, Awanas, after school Bible programs.  The children at my church loved this man and so did the mommies and daddies and grandparents.  Randy loved his family.  Loved his church family.  He loved his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  That is what is important.  Life offers up a constant stream of irritants.  Things that we cannot control.  Things that essentially do not matter.  Do Not.  What matters is that I love God and choose Jesus.  Things I cannot control???  Well, God controls it all so things out of control by my definition are distractions from Satan.  He is the counterfeit of God and offers only chaos.  When a sudden death strikes your home base of people it hits extra hard.  Causes time for reflections and taking steps back and refocusing on the areas in our lives that distract.  We really never know when Jesus will call us from this earth.  But until He does I choose to let the stupid stuff pass.  To love my family.  To love my dear, sweet sisters in Christ.  To love all these more and better.  Daily irritants are just that....daily....every single day.  In one form or another they come.  Like fiery darts.  I am asking and seeking God to extinguish them so I don't gaze at that fire.  Make them smouldering piles of nothing, Lord.  Nothing.  What's important?  Loving and serving....in the name of Jesus.