Alive

We’ve all said it. I will start tomorrow or it will wait until tomorrow. But tomorrow isn’t promised us. As far as the days that we live on this earth, we only have today. And the whole day isn’t even promised to us. In the picture, a photo I call my “Alive” picture, I am shown lying at the edge of the street about 10:30 the night of 14 November, 2009. I had been struck down by a hit and run driver while walking home. I had been laying in the street for 20-22 minutes before being reported to police dispatch and the photo was taken a minute after the dispatcher had placed the radio call to a deputy. The deputy took the picture while the ambulance was on the way. The responding EMTs have told me I had 12-15 minutes of blood left in me before I would have bled out. When I woke up that morning I had no idea what might happen and it never occurred to me that my tomorrow might never come to me.

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. ~ James 4:13-17 +++

Without our tomorrow promised to us, wouldn’t that make today more important to us? As the Scripture in James says to us, “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” Each one of us needs to take that Scripture truly to heart and open up to our Lord God and welcome Him into our hearts, literally into our hearts. I can honestly say that on that morning of the 14th of November 2009, when I walked out the door of my home I had told my wife I loved her. With both of my kids away to college I’m not sure when I had told them or even sent them a text that I loved them but I do know that they were sure that I did as I have a tendency to let them know periodically, although it is usually with a text message with them working many hours away then and now.

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. ~ Proverbs 27:1

clock is ticking

With the New Year recently passed us, many probably tried to promise themselves with a New Year’s resolution of some sort A resolution to start something new with the coming of tomorrow…..and the clock is ticking. I hope and pray that those who read these words of mine today will look into their own life and recognize and learn that today is the most important day of our lives. And each and every day we should open ourselves up to prayer to our Lord Jesus and thank Him for those wonderful blessings of time and fellowship that God has given us with our loved ones.

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About David Christenson: He is a lifelong resident of South Dakota, grew up on a farm north of Claremont and attended school in Amherst and Britton, graduating from Britton in 1977. David married Gretchen Tisher in 1984. Gretchen is also a graduate of Britton and teaches math and drama at Britton-Hecla high school. David and Gretchen have two children. Zach is an engineer for Continental Ag in Norfolk, Nebraska and his wife Amanda is a nurse. Margo lives in Denver and works as a Marketing & Outreach coordinator for MyLifeLine.org, a cancer support not-for-profit entity. David started a cow/calf operation in the 1980s and farmed on the family farm after his high school graduation until December of 1994 when he accepted a sales position at the John Deere store in Britton. David left the John Deere sales position in March of 2006 and became a licensed crop insurance agent in May of 2006. David also started a rental business in 2010 and remained in the cattle business until January of 2012. David, age 55, has had some extraordinary circumstances in his life. He was run over by a farm tractor before age 6 and had three heart attacks a few months before turning 40. Then he suffered life threatening injuries a few months after turning 50 in a hit and run incident. David was diagnosed with leukemia in 2012 and skin cancer in 2014. David started writing his recovery experiences on Facebook in December of 2009. Over the next four years those Facebook notes became what would become chapters in his book, “Why Are You Here?” which was published in December of 2013.

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