Nelson glanced at the threatening sky as it began to rain. The other roofers were already climbing down to the ground. In Markham, Ontario, the June 2006 season was full of summer promises and life was busy. Today he looked forward to going home early to be with his wife and his little six-month-old son.
The words of the doctor two months ago were still fresh in his mind: “Your son may not pull through this serious heart surgery.” But, thankfully, he had pulled through. Sometimes as he looked into his son’s bright eyes he thought, “You really shouldn’t be here.”
Truly life can take some unexpected turns. The Bible says, “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Prov. 27:11Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. (Proverbs 27:1)).
Just as Nelson undid his safety harness, he remembered that he had one more thing to do. He walked across the slippery roof to the edge without replacing his harness. He would simply pull the tarp over the roof to keep it out of the rain and he would be done.
But he slipped! In a moment of time, so fast he had no time even to think, he went down. Thirty feet below the roof his body slammed into the hard pavement. The workmen scrambled over to his quiet body. They all spoke at once: “He must be dead.” “Quick, call an ambulance!” “They’ll never get here in time. Look at the traffic!”
Quickly the police blocked off the four lanes of traffic, and a medical helicopter slowly dropped to the road. Then off they flew to nearby Sunnybrook Hospital.
The next day Nelson looked up as the doctor spoke: “You shouldn’t be here, you know.”
“Oh, am I in the wrong room, doctor?”
“No, I mean you fell thirty feet. You should be dead.”
But he was alive and very thankful.
Perhaps you have had such a thought: “I really shouldn’t be here.” Maybe you’ve had a close call. The other car was hit and you were, oh, so close! Maybe it was the surgery you had. The patient in the other bed didn’t make it, but you did. Do you know where you would be if you had not made it? Do you have the assurance that you would be in heaven?
You can have that assurance. The Lord Jesus came into our world to deal with our sin. That’s why He died on the cross-it wasn’t an accident. On the cross He took the blame for my sin. God judged Him as if He had done all the sinning, but He was holy. The Bible says it this way: “Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:66For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)).
Have you ever stopped to thank God for His mercy, for sparing your life more times than you are aware of? You are still here, by the goodness of God. Consider it another opportunity to welcome the Lord Jesus into your life.