At around 9am on Friday, a meteor entered the Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of 33,000 miles an hour and exploded over Russia.  The force of the meteor, equated to 20,000 atomic bombs, blew out windows 50 miles away and left a crater in the ice 26 miles long.  It is amazing to me that as commanding as this latest meteor was, that scientists were unable to detect its presence. 

I give these facts because it reminds me of how merciful, powerful, and majestic the Lord is.  Many lives could have been wiped out in split seconds.  I also think about how fragile life really is and how potent the Lord’s mercy is.

Naturally, I take a biblical view of how the world ends but how many Russians caught up in the throes of this meteorite explosion thought the end of the world had come (again)?

This also makes me think, what if?  If I knew that my last day on earth would be tomorrow, how much differently would I live?  I can hardly say I know the Lord with every fiber of my being but that does not mean I should not act as if I don’t.

Would I get out of the bed that day?  Would I get up and just go through my normal routine?  Would I make sure my will was in order and all my bills were paid up?  Maybe I would just spend the day with the Lord, repenting for things I should have before now and tell Him how grateful I was for all that He had done for me, knowing I did not deserve His mercy.

None of us is guaranteed one more day on this earth and we should live as if it is our last day¯ every day.  Too much of my time is wasted, thinking of things I should have done and regretting that I had not taken advantage of every second of life, making the most of each.  We really are on borrowed time so we should make the most of each second we are given.

‘‘Everybody dies but not everybody lives’’ William Wallace

One thing I have come to realize in this walk with the Lord is that I often find myself walking on eggshells around others because though I consider myself a “perfectionist,” it is the last thing I am.  I, however, do not want others to consider me “less than”  because we talk in this ministry about being to the best of our ability what we say we are, or else we may end up giving God a black eye.  I feel like the slightest error in word or action will cause others to point their fingers and then it gives them reason to mock Christ.  We all walk a tightrope and a recent story that popped up in the news is an example we can all learn from.

If you eat out you know that for parties of usually eight or more, there is a required 18% tip, whether you like the service you received or not; it is automatically figured into your bill. 

Last month, a pastor and some of her congregants visited a restaurant in the St. Louis area following a church service.  When the bill arrived, the pastor wrote on the bill, “I give God 10 percent, why do you get 18?”  A server, finding the note insulting, posted it on the internet and it went viral.  Afterwards, the pastor called the restaurant chain and demanded that everyone (including the manager) be fired.  All kept their jobs except the one who posted the note. 

At least 4,000 responses have been received on this story and some that I read lampooned Christ and the tithe principle.  One response said the pastor “hid behind religion to be “cheap and selfish.”   The pastor has since apologized.

We indeed walk a continuous fine line and it is a fact that we can never forget¯ever¯ because there are those who are always on the ready just looking for any reason to pounce on God. 

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Katie Altobellis