Four Life Altering Words
We are honored to have Christy Scott Pearce writing for the Dance With Jesus Birthday Beach Bash and Blog Tour.
Christy Pearce is a wife, stay at home Mommy of 3, writer and speaker. Her passion is to proclaim God’s truth and make Jesus known! While Christy admits that she is far from perfect, she desires that Christ would be preeminent in all she says (writes) and does. Her blog, Faith Like Dirty Diapers, was born out of God using every day events—even a diaper change—to strengthen her with words of life.
But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24, ESV
In a whirlwind three children have grown from babies who had to be fed, carried and diapered into three kids with opinions, wills and maturing identities.
As their lives flash before my eyes, so does my own. My mind flashes to visions of days when I still had my mom with me and also my mother in law and both grandmothers. Life truly is a vapor.
Those Words…
The words deeply impacting my mind have come from blogs and posts in various places. As I saw them repeatedly, I had to sit up and take note each time these powerful words invaded my thoughts again:
“For The Last Time.”
There are floods of simple yet meaningful things we do every day with people we love yet, we never know when we are doing something for the last time with them. This revelation made me stop to think through the implications of how I may not have the chance to do something again—or UNDO it.
Death Stops Us in Our Tracks
Nothing sobers-up our drunken man-centered world view more than death. Death is a sure-fire segue to a “For The Last Time” scenario to unfold. How convicting!
I even had a dream (actually a bonafide nightmare to be honest…) that I thought was 100% REAL in the moments before my eyes awoke to reality. I am usually completely aware that I am dreaming, but not this time.
Here’s my “dream:”
I was standing in the street surrounded by a large crowd of people, anxiously awaiting for the announcement of the winner of the $200,000.
“Christy Pearce,” the announcer boomed, “You are the winner of two hundred thousand dollars!”
“Yay! I WON! WOO-HOO!” I thought.
I glanced down and noticed my three year old son standing at my side. He was looking super dapper in his sweet little khakis and vest. His little brown eyes were peeping at me from underneath a ball cap.
Suddenly, a trailer carrying a boat backed up to our location.
We were invited onto the boat crowded with people. The boat traveled through town in an eccentric Tim Burton style parade to celebrate my big win.
Christmas tunes played ushering on the strange parade, though it was summer. I saw inordinate light displays as we went down the street, but the bulbs didn’t light up.
“Well, it IS June after all. They must be unplugged,” I reasoned.
The road dead-ended into a river, and we were promptly floating on it. But true to dream form, the scene changed. Instead of me and my son standing in the same crowded boat, the people were no longer with us. It was just the two of us in a boat alone.
Samuel was at the stern and I was at the bow. The only vest he was wearing was that cute little man-style vest. Not the kind of vest he really needed.
Doing what curious three year olds do best, he was trying to lean off the back of that boat to touch the water.
I gently asked him to come see me.
In a moment, the strange scene reverted to horror as he turned away from me saying, “No. I want to be by myself.”
As soon as the last word escaped his lips, his sweet little boy frame plunged into the water.
I immediately thought, “JUMP IN!” But no one saw us. I was watching him sink into disappearance as I thought “Scream for help, then JUMP IN!”
But the words wouldn’t come out.
My body was frozen.
And as I was experiencing real pain and fear and anguish in that dream. My last thought before I awoke was:
“I can’t save him.”
But this was only a dream. I realize there are so many other Mommies who this in some way was a reality from which they never wake. My heart breaks for them. But stay with me so I can share what I learned from all of this.
When I reflect on the words “For The Last Time,” and how they apply to this life so many things come to mind, but the biggest is this—
We suddenly go from living to legacy and whatever we do might really be the last time we ever do it.
This thought has stopped me in my tracks. Legacy. What will I leave behind for my children, husband, family and friends? What will I do “For The Last Time” when I see them never to be seen here on earth again?
My hope and prayer by God’s grace is that I will have been a reminder of Christ’s love to them in word and in deed.
And that I’ll never forget to give big hugs and let them know how important they are to me and to God…on the day the Lord wills “For The Last Time.”
CLICK HERE to enter the giveaway Christy is hosting.
You can connect with Christy Pearce at:
Check out her web home at:
Faith Like Dirty Diapers-God Speaks in Everything, Even a Diaper Change
Click here to find her on Facebook!
Connect with her on Twitter! @christylouhoo
Team Member/Writer for Ask God Today
Writer for Shattered Magazine