The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are
saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly… 1 Thessalonians 5:2
Streaking from the dark clouds above, a lightning
bolt struck the center of the empty soccer pitch with my daughter’s team playing
on the next field. When the referee refused to stop the game, another off-duty
ref agreed to help and we ran to the officials stand.
The officials agreed to stop the games, but their
method was far too slow. Riding a golf cart from field to field of the large
complex would never send the kids to safety in time. As fast as I could run, I
returned to my daughter’s game and told the referee to send the kids to the
cars. One after another, girls sat down to pull off shoes, socks, and shin
guards in the pelting rain, lightning crackling overhead. Yelling to leave
their things and run, we finally cleared the field.
Drenched and breathing hard, I ran to my own car,
satisfied that everyone was safe.
“Mom, are you crazy? Did you ever think you might be
killed?” My seventeen-year-old daughter’s indignant tone showed both concern
and embarrassment at my rampage to clear the fields.
Never once did I feel concern for myself. All my
thoughts were for others in danger from the fast-moving storm. “No.” I replied.
“All I thought was that those kids might die. I’m an adult, and I know where
I’m going when I die.”
People die every day without the certainty of
heaven. Our world belittles Christians but fails to heed the call to salvation.
They are quick to blame God, but slow to approach him for help. In recent years,
natural disasters and attacks by dangerous and depraved men have rocked our
world. There is no safety, and often no warning. It’s more critical than ever
for Christians to speak out about the hope we have in Jesus Christ.
How many would find salvation if I proclaimed the
gospel with as much fervor as I stopped those soccer games? What if Christians
gave no thought to their reputation or the reaction of others in order to warn
others of the approaching storm of judgment?
I must determine to live each day in the light of
the Cross. People’s lives depend on it.
©
Norma Gail Thurston Holtman, October 10, 2015, October 13, 2017
About the author:
Norma
Gail’s debut contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, won the 2016
Bookvana Religious Fiction Award. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21
years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the
Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American
Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Historical Writers of
America, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Norma is a former RN who
lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 41 years. They have
two adult children. If you’re interested in connecting with her, you're invited to
follow her blog, or join her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, or Amazon.
