Your Life is a Vapour

James 4:14 (KJV)  "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.  For what is your life?  It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."

I confess that lately I have been dwelling on the cares of this world instead of being focused on heavenly things.  After all, a Christian is a pilgrim passing through, this world is not our home and we are admonished to "set your affection  on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2)  Last week there was an incident that has brought home the fact that our lives are very brief, and we do not know what the next moment will bring.

We had been shopping in a city north of us an hour away.  It was, as our weather has been for a time, a very hot day.  On the drive home the air conditioning was on and my husband and I were talking about various things.  But then the traffic became slower, bumper to bumper, it crawled along and then stopped.  I thought that surely there was an accident ahead perhaps at the airport turnoff intersection as there was also very little traffic heading in the other direction.  After some time had passed and we were barely moving, we passed the airport intersection (which was clear) and could then see that the traffic jam stretched as far ahead as we could see.  The car wasn't doing much more than idling and I thought that perhaps it might not be a good idea to run the air conditioning so we turned it off and wound down the windows.


Shortly thereafter it became so hot in the car that I thought I was going to faint.  There was a bottle of water in the car so I put some on my forehead and back of neck and did the same for my husband.  I was constantly complaining how hot it was, and how long was this going to last, and was very frustrated.  A helicopter flying low approached from the direction we were heading and passed over us heading north but I didn't think about it too much.

After 1 1/2 hours of this we reached the reason for the traffic jam.  It was a very terrible traffic accident involving a motorcycle.  The road was blocked in both directions.  There were no cars in sight but the motorcycle was lying on its side, and the rider's leather clothing and helmet were lying on the road  in front of it.  There were many police present and there were people directing traffic to pass by on the side of the road in either direction.   Later we learned that 2 helicopters and 4 ambulances had been called to the scene before we got there.

Yesterday on the news it was reported that the people on the motorcycle were an older man and a woman passenger.  The man had died from his injuries.

So now I am thinking about the brevity of life, one moment this man and woman were heading up the road, the next moment they were involved in this terrible accident.  Was this man who died a Christian?  or was he a lost soul and now is separated from God, no more time to receive Jesus as his Saviour.

And I think of my complaining, thinking of my own uncomfortableness while waiting in the car. How selfish. Now I am thankful that it was not us, nor a loved one who was involved.

We know not what the day will bring..  the bible tells us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved and have peace knowing that should you suddenly leave this earth, you will be heaven bound.