Paid in Full...Beautiful Words for the Believer

I remember sitting in a dark movie theater, young heart pounding at the sight of a ruggedly handsome young man helping a band of American high school boys duck an entire Communist army which had overrun their small town. "Red Dawn," the best movie I ever watched as an adolescent, now seems corny and fantastical to me. However, I do recall that the star of the show, a young Patrick Swayze, was one of my very favorite actors way back then. I don't watch a lot of movies now, and had pretty much lost track of his prolific film career when he announced a few years ago that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. "Oh, that's so sad," I said to no one in particular, my hand probably involuntarily rising to my throat. You know how it is when a star who reminds you of your youth passes away. It's like a part of your childhood fades. I felt that way when Andy Gibb died, too. Patrick, as most of you know, passed away after a brief struggle with his illness. It was heart-wrenching to me to see photos of him in his waning days. Gone was the rugged mantle of athleticism he had always worn with pride. He looked like a frail old man, though he was only in his fifties.This morning I happened on a slide show of pictures from his interesting life that included a voice-over narration from Patrick himself. In it he told the story of how he found out he had a terminal disease and the philosophical path it sent him down immediately. It broke my heart to hear him wonder if he had been a good person, if his life had been good enough. "Is there a heaven? Will I make it in," he recalls wondering immediately. I felt a rising panic in me as I read his words...I have reflected much on the quality of my own living these last 43 years. Suddenly, I was brought up short by a simple realization accompanied by a PROFOUND sense of gratitude to God. No, my life has not been enough. The most heartfelt, sustained efforts by myself to live every moment perfectly would never have been enough. However, what Jesus Christ did on the cross was abundantly, completely, perfectly and EVER MORE THAN enough!! Praise God forever!!! Yes, I will make it in. No, this life is not about me and my efforts. I will seek to give Jesus all of me for the rest of my life on this earth, but not because I want to achieve heaven. That has been done for me. I will serve Him because in his perfect will is the only peace I will ever know. I will also serve Him because I love him and He deserves all. He gave ALL that I might have all. Thank you, Jesus!