The End of the World: I Was There

If you're reading this post, you survived the end of the world that was scheduled to take place last Friday. I don't think many of us actually believed the world would cease to exist on December 21, 2012. However, if you're like me, you secretly wondered "what if it's true?"

As the day approached, I guess I looked at things differently and appreciated the little things a bit more. Coupled with a recent tragic event that shook the US and the upcoming Christmas season, last week was full of reminders to hug your loved ones a few extra times, take advantage of the opportunities that are in front of you and seize the day (carpe diem).

One of my mentors once told me a story about one of his friends who died and how the brother of his friend read a quote that was hand written in the back of his Bible. It said, "when it's your time to die, it better be the only thing you have left to do." When he said those words, they pierced my soul. They were simple, yet extremely profound and, dare I say, haunting. I immediately grabbed my Bible and wrote the same words inside the back cover. If I have anything to do with it, I don't want to leave anything on the table when it's my time.

Do you have things you're putting off for another day that should get done today? Do you wait for a tragedy or an end times prophesy to hug your loved ones a little more than normal? Step into the moment and take advantage of the opportunities that are before you.

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ this week, I'm encouraged to know that God took advantage of the opportunity to send his son into the world at an exact and perfect time. Galatians 4:4 says, "But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law." God seized the moment and it changed the course of history forever. Let's all do the same.