The Ultimate Choice

Recently, my family and I found ourselves driving in a funeral procession as we laid a dear relative to rest. We are thankful to now know that she is no longer hurting, but instead worshipping her Savior in heaven’s glory.

Growing up, I have been a part of many of these solemn rides with our loved ones, and there is something that never ceases to catch my attention. Around here in North Mississippi (and the rest of the south), we have the unspoken rule to pull over for a funeral procession.

An article from Southern Living shares thoughts on this practice. It says:

“Though it may not be the official law of the land, it is most certainly a courteous and thoughtful gesture to pull over as a funeral procession passes by. … Whether we know each other or not, we can all understand what it's like to grieve. By physically stopping our cars, we figuratively show our neighbors that we wish to honor the experience they’re having, even the busyness of our own lives.”

May I say, as someone who has found herself in these flasher-blinking carlines many times, this is so true. I think that it is one of the sweetest things that any stranger could offer my family during those drives to the cemetery. The thoughtfulness of this action brings a moment of joy to my sad heart. In the middle of their hustle, this brief salute to grief-filled individuals makes a difference.

However, on more than one of these rides, something other than cars has caught my attention. Instead of cars, it was when multiple tractors pulled over in reverence.

Having grown up around agriculture and a family who spent many hours on a tiller or a tractor, I know that if someone is working in these fields, they are busy.

There are only so many hours in a day or minutes (at least this summer) until the next rain falls. The men driving these tractors, unlike those driving their cars, typically don’t have air conditioning; they aren’t listening to their curated playlist, nor are they chowing down on the last bites of pastry from their coffee order that they picked up during their commute.

Nope, they are just hard at work.

To me, at least, seeing these individuals take the time to honor our family means the world. So, to you unnamed tractor drivers – thank you!

But there was something else that these stalled tractors made me remember. That is a Scripture found in Matthew 24:40-41. It says:

Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.

This passage has always given me chills. It discusses the second coming of our Lord and Savior and how rapidly the timeframe of that event will unfold. In a blink!

But specifically, He uses the example of two men working in the field, minding their own business, and (assumingly) making money to provide for their families. Then all of a sudden, one of the two is swept up, away to heaven. Meanwhile, the other partner is left behind in a world without Christ.

There are a few questions that I ask myself about this scenario.

1.        Why didn’t his coworker or friend working alongside him in the field share the love of Jesus and the salvation He offers?
2.        Why didn’t the heaven-bound friend make sure that when the moment came of His return, his friend (who was left behind) had all the knowledge he needed to know about that event and what it meant for the rest of the world?

Maybe that farmer told his friend, and he rejected the gospel. If that was the man’s decision, then the faithful friend had nothing else to try. But what if he didn’t?

Dear friend, you and I have the ultimate choice to make when it comes to our loved ones. We can ignore what is written, and “hope” that our loved ones somehow find the truth of the Lord’s coming … or we can openly share the goodness and hope we’ve been given through Him.

We know how the story ends.

I’m thankful to the kind souls who pulled aside to respect a grieving family. Yet, I couldn’t imagine the sorrow that drive would be filled with if I didn’t know where my loved one was going. Could you?

Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will (Matthew 24:42-44).