Jasmine’s anxiety level was consistently elevated when I drove beside an 18-wheeler on the freeway, and she wouldn’t hesitate to express her displeasure. I confess that I’d get annoyed by what I felt was an unnecessary complaint, as though I’d chosen to drive beside the behemoth of a truck. Nevertheless, I would accommodate her and create distance between my car and the semitrailer truck (usually by speeding ahead of it).

I could have benefited from her complaining last Wednesday morning. After flying for 10 hours and being awake for the past 24, I was jolted by the sound of scraping metal. Traveling at a high rate of speed on Interstate 20, I fell asleep at the wheel and side-swiped an 18-wheeler! It’s incredible what an adrenaline rush will do. I was no longer sleepy and completed the remaining 18 miles of the 212-mile drive home from Austin without incident.

I thank God for protecting me. I mean, I really thank God! I thank God for keeping my body, mind, soul, and spirit intact. I could have been the lead story for the 6 o’clock evening news and not be here to share my story. The only damage was to my car and my pride. The insurance company took care of my car; God took care of my pride.

It’s often been said, “We never know when it’s our time.” It was true for Jasmine 3 ½ years ago. Last Wednesday could have been true for me, but evidently, God is giving me more time to accomplish His will on earth. By God’s promise of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, I’m comforted and assured that when it’s my time, heaven is my destination.

This raises two questions.

First, do you know where your destination will be when “it’s your time”? When someone dies, it’s common to hear, “They’re in a better place.” Are they? How can we know for sure? There’s only one way to know. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). For those who argue that Jesus’ claim of being the only way to God is narrow, I agree. It is narrow. But as Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana often says when quoting someone, “Those are his words, not mine.”

Jesus’ claim is not intended to be exclusive but inclusive, offering eternal life in heaven to anyone and everyone who places their faith in Him. The question we must all answer is, “Is His claim true?” If it is, the proper response is to trust in Him and receive eternal life as His gift.

Second, if you know that your destination is heaven, are you focused on fulfilling God’s purpose for you on earth, or are you “asleep at the wheel”? If being confronted by this question is like a shot of adrenaline that “wakes you up,” know that He also sustains you by the power of the Holy Spirit to keep your focus on the road until you reach “home.”

Stay awake! Be attentive to the road you’re on. You never know when it’s your time.

Stop and Consider …