Twice, Four Days a Week

1/2/2023

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Four days a week, as I travel to work, I drive through a cemetery. This particular cemetery is notable not only for its parklike setting, but also for being the second oldest garden cemetery in the United States. It is featured in a very famous Stephen King novel. It has Lincoln's vice president, Hannibal Hamlin, as well as infamous mobster Al Brady buried on its grounds. It honors soldiers that have fought for our country with several war memorials. On any given day, weather permitting, you will find many people walking the grounds of this historic memorial park. I have strolled the paved hilly paths myself several times since we moved to the area. It is always so peaceful and serene because people are reverent within the vast fenced area.

Getting back to my morning commute, during the eight trips I make past this sobering yet beautiful setting, I always think about the preciousness of life. It is, after all, the final resting place of over 30 thousand individuals. Even though most of the time during my three-mile commute I am on autopilot, I am always struck by this small part of my journey. Although I attempt to live a life of gratitude, this less-than-60 second timeframe brings me to a different meditation on attempting to not take any moment with those I love for granted. This, however, is certainly a difficult thing to do as we muddle through some of the more mundane times of life.

Recently, I am also being drawn into another focus: that of sharing the truth and power of the Gospel with others. Our time, no matter how long we have on this earth, is finite. None of us know when we will draw our last breath, for that is up to God. What we do know, as believers, is that we are called to share, with honestly and compassion, the grace and love of Jesus with a lost and hurting world. The most powerful way to begin this kind of conversation is introducing people to God’s Holy Word. Just get out of the way, initially, and encourage people around you to read about Jesus’ mission, life, and sacrifice in the four gospels. Or better yet, read it with them, for there is no more transformative writing ever put to page than that of the inspired word of God. It can and will change a life. I can boldly profess it changed mine forever and for always. To God be the Glory.