From Charlie Gray

I currently find myself on three waiting lists. I am "in line" if you will for something to happen. Joseph and I loved to play the course at Caledonia Golf & Fish club in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. It was our favorite golf destination. This place holds priceless memories. It’s sacred ground for me. It’s one of the places I feel closest to my son. Back in the summer, Donna and I bought a home in Pawleys Island. Our front door is 12 minutes from the first tee box at Caledonia. I was quick to rush down to join the club when I learned there was a "waiting list". As of this writing, I have eleven folks ahead of me.

Donna and I were at the US Open in Pinehurst this past summer. The auto manufacturer Lexus had cars scattered around the course. These units showcased their newly redesigned models. Donna and I both drive a Lexus and have been loyal customers for over 20 years. One model really caught my eye. The GX550 has been totally redesigned and the Overtrail package on display heightened my desire. The next week I was at Johnson Lexus in Durham to make a purchase and guess what ??? I’m on another waiting list. There are 300 people ahead of me over the entire Lexus network for this particular model.

I was added to the third waiting list the moment I was born. That is the list to die. I have no idea how many folks are ahead of me. I can testify that logic and natural order does not dictate your slot. Maybe you have no interest in a Caledonia membership or a Lexus GX550 Overtrail, but you occupy this third list along with me. That fact is undeniable and inescapable.

Our faith, as followers of Jesus, softens the morbid reality of occupying this list. We know that death is not the end. Our faith provides an assurance that a better place surely awaits us. We believe in a divine reunion with those who have gone before us. Until then, live your life here on this earth with joy. Embrace the preciousness of every moment. Don’t merely exist but seize every day you are afforded and extract good from its full potential.

Enjoy the relationship you have with Jesus and tell others about it. Share His love. Serve others. Feed the hungry and clothe the naked. Love your enemies and forgive those who have wronged you. Enjoy your golf memberships and your new cars but they one day will not have you. The reward when your name is called from the third list is eternal.