One Second

The idea for this thought came from my friend David Bellamy...



Have you ever thought about that increment of time we refer to as one second? It might not mean much to you, but this past Saturday night, it meant Penn State's first loss of the season to a team they were supposed to have no problem beating. In a nutshell, in the last second of the game, with Penn State up 25 to 21, University of Michigan's quarterback was able to move the ball up and into the Penn State's red zone (the 20 yards closest to the end zone). Forget the terrible calls by the refs which allowed this to happen in the first place (and despite your thoughts, I'm not on sour grapes). Instead, focus on the fact that with one second left in the game, Michigan was able to rocket a pass to an open receiver in the Penn State end zone. Poof. End of game.


What does one second mean in your life? It may not seem like much. And let's face it, few reading this e-newsletter will probably ever be in such a situation like the Penn State-Michigan game. But one second can have a profound effect, even in the midst of some of the more mundane, regular moments of our lives. One second is about the time it takes for each of us to go from thought to action. That is, one second is the time it takes for you to convert your thinking about doing or saying something into your actually doing or saying something. One second can mean the difference between something getting done or not. It can be the difference between your sharing something profound, or sticking your foot in your mouth.


One second can also have profound eternal consequences. It can mean the difference between spending eternity in the joyful presence of God, or spending in eternal damnation, separated from God. One second. The bible tells us that death comes to all people, with no bias toward economic status, education, race, or even religion. And on top of that, the bible says that everyone who dies will face judgment by God. Death can come as quick as one second. I just heard about a high school class mate and friend of mine who was killed in a car accident last month. I don't know exactly how he died. And I don't really know how quickly he died. But I've found myself wondering about where he is right now. Not too long after school ended this past June, an LM student suddenly died from a tumor near her heart. Did she have a chance to cry out to God? This is not meant as either a judgment on either of these people. But it is one of those 'in-your-face' kinds of questions for you. Do you know where you're going to spend eternity? One second can make a difference. If you're reading this, and you want to make an eternal difference in your life, here and now, drop me a line, and we can talk. One second. It could be the difference between life and death.