The question at hand is a reality worth considering simply because the young pass away too. Let us conclude Mark Johnson’s story. He was eighteen, attractive, athletic, and always ready for the ladies and the parties until he met Jordanna, a friend who invited him to an Inter-School Christian Fellowship (ISCF) meeting. This was the catalyst for his transformation into a child of God. His new life then began to have much positive impact on the people around him, including his family. Not long after being saved though, Mark suddenly collapsed and died while being treated at the hospital, leaving especially his parents and younger siblings (Julian and Lilly) in shock and grief.
“Hello, Mrs. Johnson,” a familiar voice greeted as the owner entered the living room at Mark’s home one Sunday morning. It was Jessica, Mark’s friend and Jordanna’s younger sister. She served as a Sunday school teacher at Mark’s church and had taken Lilly under her wings after Mark died. “Ready, Lilly?” She had barely finished the question before Lilly came running, jumping into her arms. “Of course, Aunty, let’s go!” she responded, while pulling Jessica toward the door, stopping abruptly and turning around.“Come on, Julian.” She had never asked her older brother to accompany her before. He was startled and unyielding. “Oh yes, Julian, go on!” His mother jumped in, crushing his reluctance. Lilly leaped and squealed delightfully. He slowly acquiesced yet somehow felt a slight joy at the idea.
As it turned out, he actually enjoyed church that day. Soon, he moved from loving isolation to being their constant companion…much to Lilly’s delight! At first, Jessica was puzzled by him because he hardly spoke. Every time they went out together, there would be complete silence if it weren’t for Lilly’s chatty nature. Still, she appreciated that he no longer needed prodding, willingly attended Sunday school, and appeared attentive in class. She remembered how Mark used to pray for the salvation of his family. He was always talking about Julian.
“I miss Mark,” Lilly said to Jessica one day on their way home. “Is he ever coming back?”
“No, Baby, he is in heaven with Jesus, and one day we will go there, too. Remember the story in class yesterday?”
“Oh yes, Aunty, I remember!” Smiling, Lilly turned to her brother. “Julian, will you, Mommy and Daddy be in heaven, too?” When silence ensued, Lilly continued her conversation with her teacher. Julian was perplexed, for his four-year-old sister had asked him a question to which he knew the answer but did not want to consider.
In bed that night, a conversation he had had with Mark flooded his mind. No matter how high he blasted his music, the statement resounded in his head: “No one becomes a Christian by accident, J. It is a step you will take with all your mental faculties intact because it is the single most important decision you will ever make in your life.”
TOO GUILTY TO YIELD
One Sunday, Jessica sat beside Julian as someone else taught in her place. He used the opportunity to ask Jessica something he had been struggling with for a while… “Mark loved God so much, Jes. Why did he have to die?”
She could hear the anger in his voice. “I don’t know, Julian. But our times are in God’s hands, and He knows best.”
“I am not Lilly!” He quickly refuted! “You can’t expect me to be so gullible!” Jessica had been praying for him and so was not offended nor surprised by his reaction; she just sat in silent compassion.
That night, Lilly approached Julian with her storybook. After Mark’s death, she only wanted Auntie Jessica to read to her, but tonight, she chose him. How could he refuse? He soon became her new bedtime story reader. And though he read out of duty, the stories began to fascinate him; he even started researching about them.
He noticed that some of the characters experienced pain, loss, and disappointments, but they never stopped believing in God. He began reading the actual Bible as well and did further research. The more he sought, the more he found supporting historical data. Soon, he could not deny the credibility of the Bible, but he remained too angry to talk to God. “How could He take Mark, who had given up a reckless life to serve Him, but allow me (the sinner) to live?” He wrestled with guilt and condemnation.
Now, one year had passed, and the family was still grieving but trying to move on. As Jessica prayed for them one night, she felt led by the LORD to have a remembrance service for Mark. Her pastor agreed.
As they heard about the many lives Mark had touched since he became a Christian, the Johnsons were in awe. And when Samantha, Mark’s ex-girlfriend, shared how he had apologised for breaking her heart and was instrumental in leading her to Christ, Julian was speechless.
The service ended with an address from the church’s youth leader. He told the story of once speaking at an ISCF meeting when he saw a young man walk into the room; how he had felt God’s presence and was instructed, “This one is mine. Today, speak directly to his heart.” That young man was Mark.
Julian was even more astonished as he witnessed his parents proceed to the altar and publicly confess their readiness for salvation. He was numb and confused. He had been so angry and cold towards his brother, whose life had greatly impacted others. This reality made him feel guilty for wasting so much time and being petty.
Still, he did not yield.
The next day, he went into Mark’s old room. Now a storage area, he felt strangely at peace there as he sat at a desk and powered up the computer. He was about to browse the internet when a document suddenly popped up. Tears began to flow as he read a portion of Mark’s journal.
THE WEEK BEFORE HE DIED
He knew his brother loved them (the family), but he did not know the depth of his love, especially for God. In his last entry, written a week before he died, Mark wrote:
“When God calls you, it is for a purpose, which is to fulfil your true destiny. Do not resist Him or delay to respond. He knows everything about us and our times are in His hands. His wisdom is to help us make the most of our lives on earth by making us His sons who in turn helps others to know Him too.
Jesus willingly suffered loss, hate and rejection, so that I might know Him. When I consider the price He paid to save me, along with all His promises, I’m left speechless. It will take eternity to explore the dimensions of His beauty and majesty. He did not pursue me half-heartedly so neither will I Him.”
As he reflected on Mark’s life, Julian could not deny the truth of God’s grace in his own. He could see God’s goodness towards him: patiently teaching him the basics first with Lilly; causing him to remember conversations with Mark; then finally leading him home…right there in Mark’s room. He surrendered his life to God and felt a weight lift from his shoulders as God’s love flooded his heart.
The world says live young, wild, and free, but that “life” is no life at all. I challenge you, youth, to replace that ‘wild’ with ‘wise’. Never presume the time you have on earth to get right with God will last until you decide. Receive the Spirit of Jesus in you today and live in such a way that both your life and death will glorify your Father in Heaven.
Claudette Williams is a member of Passion and Purity, a school-based Christiam ministry in Jamaica.