I’ve often thought about the pity that fine talents must die. In the entertainment field, for example…at this writing, it hasn’t been long since country singer Eddie Arnold died. Such a nice, down-to-earth man. But at age 84, his time came. And in the pop field, Perry Como, Dinah Shore and Bing. But the great minds have to go, too. And the poorest, and the richest.

It came to me again today when I brought in one of our humming bird feeders to clean and refill, and a large ant was clinging to it. He had meant no harm; he only wanted the sweet drink. And you may think I’m nuts, but I hated to be the cause of his life being snuffed out. I thought later that I could have carried him outside and let him go.

Is that how God feels when he must take one of us? He could let everyone live until the world wouldn’t hold us and starvation would take over…a fate worse than death. He could let the rich live and in time, one of them would accumulate all the wealth and become an unendurable dictator. He could guarantee each life until a certain age, but this would lead to tempting of God to unbelievable lengths. Some parents would feel relieved of all responsibility for their children.

No…God was right to set our lives at more or less 70. It simply wouldn’t do to set guarantees. Our only recourse is to live for our promise of Heaven, where there are no goodbyes.

If you haven’t prepared for that place, now would be the best time to talk to Jesus about it. Have a nice day? How about having a nice eternity. Think about it.