[the one about steak and cake]

My dad’s passing was the first of many challenges that would happen over a very short period of time. This was the first death of a family member I had experienced and oh how it ached. How does one process grief, mourn a relationship, remember a person, acknowledge the difference between the Spirit and body and ultimately accept the fact the little box of dust was once your Father-who was has been weary, yet beautifully knitted together just days before. A pastor from our church asked me, “Was your Dad a Christian?” 

In 2003, Bobby and I surprised Dad for his birthday. Over steak dinner and chocolate cake, Bobby answered the “what are your intentions with my daughter” type of questions with ease (after all, we would be engaged a month later). We talked about our call to ministry, how we wanted to share the Gospel with all people. Dad was quick to quip “So, you’re gonna go live in a jungle?” Our reply “If that’s where we’re called to go.” Dinner continued on, the subject was changed and laughter resumed. We begin to say our goodbyes, I hug my Tutu tight and turn to see Bobby sharing the Gospel with my Dad. 

“Was your Dad a Christian?” The knot rose in my throat. Weak and speechless with tears burning. The shoulder shrug indicating no one really knew.  Sometimes, God doesn’t call everyone to the jungle to spread the Gospel. Yes, He does call others to foreign mission fields, but in this case and at an appointed time, He placed Bobby at the table to share the Gospel with my father and pray with him. The choice to accept the free gift of salvation would be entirely up to him. How does one make sense of a situation that has eternal consequences, when our society is focused on the “here and now”. Often our focus is today, not tomorrow and surely not eternity, because we’ve got plenty of time to deal with tomorrow when it gets here. Our commandment is found in Matthew 28:19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.”  This command isn’t “go at your leisure, when you want, whenever you’re done doing your thing” sort of command. The command is “GO” now. It is imperative: Commands. Necessary. Required. We are not promised tomorrow. James 14:4 tells us we are “but a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away”.  Just as the focus of our wants/needs/desires is immediate- we need to have the same immediacy in spreading the Gospel. We are so quick to share through facebook, twitter, pinterest, blogger, vine, instagram: pictures of what we ate, workout plans, commentary about sports, complaints about irritations <-- those things don’t matter. What does matter is what we neglect. What really matters makes the difference between the knot of uncertainty in the throat and the peace that the assurance of salvation brings.