Don't Make My Mistakes

It's Memorial Day, so what would be more appropriate than a memorial blog? This isn't going to be easy for me to write, so it may seem mediocre compared to my typical postings, but we'll see.

I believe that there are valuable lessons to be learned from every situation in life. Or death.

My friend Rachel died this past January. She had rhabdomyosarcoma, a type of cancer. She and I were really close in junior high, but after I got expelled, we didn't talk as much. It was September of 2007 when she was diagnosed. It's funny, your natural reaction to hearing that someone has cancer is to think that they could die, but I never would have thought in a million years that I'd be standing over Rachel's grave. She was only 17.

Rachel died pretty suddenly. She was responding well to treatment, and I grew less and less worried about her all the time. When I left for Germany on January 1st, she was fine. I got back on the 10th or the 11th, and heard that she was having a hard time with treatment, and that she wasn't doing well. I attempted to contact her that week, but couldn't get ahold of her. She died the 18th. 

I couldn't believe it. It happened so fast. She was gone. My biggest regret throughout this whole situation is that I didn't see or talk to her more, and that when I did, I didn't really bring up God. I said I was praying for her, but that's about it. Now, it's not my place to judge a person's salvation, but I knew Rachel wasn't living in the manner of a Christian. Maybe she was just having a rough spot in her faith, I don't know. What I do know is that I never confronted her. I never made the effort to get out of my comfort zone to talk to her about the only thing that really matters.

Basically, what I hoped to get out of this post is to encourage believers to share their faith with people. You never know what will happen. Life is short, and anyone can die at any moment. Don't wait until it's too late to confront someone. You'll hate your life. It won't be easy, but if you call yourself someone's friend, and don't confront them when they aren't living the way they should be, what kind of friend are you really? There are people in your life who may call themselves Christians, but don't act like it. Confront them. There are those who openly deny God. Confront them.

And by "confront" I'd like to qualify that I mean it in the most gentle and sensitive way possible. It doesn't have to be an intervention. Just talk to the person openly. Be humble and caring. Tell them of the hope you have, and explain why all people need this hope. Don't let yourself be put into the position I'm in: standing above a grave, wondering why you didn't share with her, and if she truly knew Christ. 

Take example from the Ezekiel 33. We are all watchmen. Why would you not warn others? Why would you not give them hope and everlasting life?

~So