How Are You Going To Live

How Are You Going To Live?

 
Dear Champions,
 
The short excerpt is part of a devotional given by 6th grader Max Casey on November 16, 2005 to the entire middle school at McCallie, a prep school in Chattanooga, TN.  Max went to heaven in August of 2006, and this is a look back.  The scripture is Psalm 18:24 This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
 
In April of this year, right after I was accepted to McCallie, I started to have double vision.  After a visit to the eye doctor and getting an MRI, I thought everything was clear, but my mom said that I had to go back to see another doctor.  I sat down in his office, and he said that it looks like you have a brain tumor. 
           
I was in a situation where I did not think I deserved to be.  And I know you have probably experienced this before, and it made you mad.  At the time, I had no faith in God and was a full-blown atheist.  During the first couple of months, I was dead-set on not believing because I did not think that it was fair to just start believing when you are in a time of need.  After a while, I decided that maybe God did this to me to teach me that, at any time, I could love him, and that He would forgive me.
 
About three months after my conversion, my uncle was told that he had cancer.  Well, my aunt started to become angry with God and did not see how this was fair that the people she loved all had bad things happening to them.  And when I found out about this, I thought, if God did not love us, then my uncle and I would not have a chance.  And, even if this did turn out for the worst, the world is not perfect.  If it were, Jesus never would have had to give his life for us, and Adam and Eve would never have eaten the fruit from the tree.
 
No matter what happens, God always loves you.  That is why he looked after Adam and Eve after they were banished from the Garden of Eden.  That is why my uncle and I do have a chance, and that is why Jesus did give his life for us.  Even if my aunt was rightfully mad, and even if everyone on earth was going to die tomorrow, the question I have for you is, How are you going to spend your last day of life?  Sad and angry with God?  What a way to spend your last day of life.  Earl Nightingale once said, Our attitude towards life determines life s attitude towards us.
 
You might ask what my attitude really is now.  It is mostly positive, because I cannot be mad at God, just like I said earlier.  I do not think that is what he intends for me to do.  I also try to keep a good sense of humor and laugh whenever possible.
 
In closing, I am to going to use a quote from folksinger Joan Baez: You do not get to choose how you are going to die or when. You can only decide how you are going to live… NOW.
 
Champions, have a great week!-David Vining