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A sick man turned to his doctor as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, " Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side."

Very quietly the doctor said, "I don't know."

"You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?"

The doctor was holding the handle of the door; from the other side came the sound of scratching and whining. When he opened the door a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.

Turning to the patient the doctor said, " did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing.....

I know my Master is there and that is enough for me! "

"It's not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbles or how the doer of deeds might have done it better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." ~ Theodore Roosevelt

Ben E King said it best: Stand By Me.

Social media posts like these and what I truly believe is the new world concept behind them are so not Christian. They encourage more selfishness as opposed to more selflessness.

Isn't that devaluing to human life to feel like NOBODY is worth stressing over? To accept that your needs (and let's be transparent- most often WANTS) are more important than anyone elses needs or wants is the crazy that has taken over the world. Isnt that parenting is, from the last piece of cake to a child lost or hurt or in danger isn't worth stressing over? A spouse in distress or desperate for love isn't worthy of your staying loyal and being a soul mate? Standing by family or friends isn't necessary if it costs us anything at all? Taking time once a week to talk to or take of elderly parents, even if it costs you time or money, but usually just effort, isn't a good thing to do? Really?!

Sticking to a commitment or relationship when it gets hard or complicated or even a little painful, isn't worth putting your need to "find yourself", which most of us should have done back when we were young adults instead of at 30, 40, 50, and 60?

I could not agree less. Think of a famous story or movie and look at how someone sticking by someone through the transformation isn't at the focus. That's what makes a great story...becoming a hero.

And Christian, the world isnt yours or ours. We lost it. And maybe some semblence of life will go on, but a not good one or fulfilled one.

Bishop Mark Webb was talking about how he was in an airport with some time to kill and found himself perusing books on a store shelf. There was one book that got his attention: 'The In-Between: Embracing the Tension Between Now and the Next Big Thing' and he read the summary:

“Moments of breakthrough are not where life’s greatest transformation happens; the stuff that God uses to shape us often lies in the in-between. It is the bus stops and layovers and DMV lines and moments of unintentional pause that force us to become better people. That’s not to say there aren’t moments of epiphany. There are. It’s just that most of us find ourselves living somewhere in the in-between. Learning to live in this tension, to be content in these moments of waiting, may be our greatest struggle – and our greatest opportunity to grow.”

There is another book that has a lot to say about living in “the in-between.” In the Bible we read the accounts of God’s people experiencing seasons of wandering, waiting, and wondering. Sometimes these in-between times led to confusion, fear, wallowing in self-pity, and murmuring against God, while other times they created a spirit of expectation and a season of preparation. No matter the response, every in-between time led to a new movement of God in the lives of those willing to surrender in faith and follow.

- Brad Terhune