Man knows not his time

Yesterday when I shared with a young man that Senator Ted Kennedy's brain tumor was malignant, he responded, "I guess he's dead."

While the youth likely meant nothing disparaging against the Massachusetts senator, the comment slapped me in the face as rather crass. In full disclosure, I have never liked the liberal politician. He opposed everything I favored (and vice versa), and he did it with great passion. But in the past months I have read a number of articles by folks with my convictions that lauded him as a great friend or a very conscientious man. I was startled. And I considered the writers words and the Lord's words.

So when it came to light yesterday that the Senator's days were few, I was saddened. I responded to the young man by telling him, "Kennedy is no different than you or I. We are all dead. God has simply given him a clearer look at the hour glass than we have." We were driving at the time. "In fact," I continued while turning a corner, "he may have more sand in his glass than we do. No man knows the time when the Lord will call him home."

And so I pray for Senator Kennedy. May he savor his remaining days with his family. May he trust Christ's atoning work to completely cover his sin. May he wait with great hope to meet the Savior face to face. Perhaps we'll see him in glory. Perhaps.

God grant me the ability to better love those who oppose me, and thereby love them as you do.

LORD, make me to know my end,
And what is the measure of my days,
That I may know how frail I am.
Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my age is as nothing before You;
Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah
And now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You.

Psalm 39:4-5, 7 (NKJV)