Vanished!

I have been so taken with the reports of the Malaysian Airline plane that is missing. Since I first noticed the story on the news “crawl” at the bottom of the screen on Friday. At first I thought it was unbelievable and not a real news story. Planes don’t just disappear! But as the hours passed and the reports grew stronger, I was deeply saddened and intrigued. Secondly, I began to wonder if I knew any missionaries, acquaintances or family that might be traveling such a route. I didn’t.

How can a large jet, in good repair, with good weather just vanish with all 239 passengers on board and not one distress signal or amount of debris? Just vanish. We don’t know yet. There are far more questions than answers. No terror group has claimed responsibility…

I know there are teams of experts headed out to the South China Sea to investigate and eventually we will get an answer.

But there are so many family members grieving…shock, disbelief and the reality has yet to set in that life has been forever altered for them and there is no explanation. No body. No casket. No grave. No closure. Just gone. How does one adjust?

It made me think of the time when many of us will vanish in the Rapture when Jesus comes to claim His own. St. Paul describes it this way: “For the Lord HImself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the lord i the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.” (I Thessalonians 4:16-17)

Part of me wondered for a minute if that had happened to that airplane! But too many saints I know are still on earth!

When the time comes will non believers hear the trumpet? Will they have a last-minute opportunity? Or will they just wake up to the reality that all the believers are gone? They will have lots of questions, no doubt. (Sort of like the books and movie of the Left Behind series.)

I don’t want to get into an eschatological theology discussion. That’s way above me. But I do know Jesus is going to return and He will call His own to join Him. I am one of His so if I am alive, I’ll hear that trumpet and my name called and I’ll be out of here! How exciting!

If, however, I am dead and buried I’ll be in that group to rise first!

Either way, I get to spend eternity with the Lord!

How ’bout you? Are you sure of eternity? Don’t be left out. Make Jesus your Lord today!