The way, the truth, and the LIFE

This blog is titled La Vida Eterna, which means eternal life, and today I am reminded strongly of the eternal life that we have in Christ.  As I have mentioned, I have been blessed to spend the vast majority of my subbing days this year (and about 95% of second semester) at one specific middle school where I have come to feel at home, where I will be teaching summer school.  One of their teachers has been battling cancer, and he lost that fight yesterday afternoon.  I had spoken with this man only a few times, yet through his life and witness and medical blog, he has made a lasting impression on my life.  He and his wife and family are strong believers and this came through abundantly as they wrote about their faith in the midst of this struggle.  Even as they shared on the blog the news of his passing, their faith and trust in the Lord shone through.  He leaves behind a wife and three small children, and I encourage you to keep them in your prayers.

The news today reminds me of how fleeting life is, that it really is but a breath, like the grass that so quickly withers and dies.  It reminds me that the things that I spend so much time, money, and energy on are not the things that last.  The worries and cares of my mind- these are not the things that matter.  This news reminds me that I must run in such a way as to get the prize, to earn the crown that lasts, the crown of righteousness.  And, as a dear friend reminded me last night, today impresses on me even more the fact that in everything in life we are called to endure because the Risen Christ walks with us and is by our side. 

"When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."  Where, I death, is your victory?  Where, O death, is your sting?  ... Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm.  Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."  1 Corinthians 15:54-58