I have nearly died three times in my life.
I was almost aborted, experienced a break-in, and survived a rollover car crash. I only became aware of the responsibility I play in my own salvation in one of those instances, during the car crash. Time slowed down during the tossing and rolling, and all I could think was, "Dear God, I am in mortal sin and I can't stand the thought of being eternally separated from You." I really thought I was going to die on January 9th, 2019. I thought about my family and how much I wished I could tell them I loved them.
We hear the Lord calling us to repent many times throughout Scripture in many ways. Sometimes God explicitly tells us what He will do to evildoers like when He says, "For the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts" (Malachi 3:19.) I believe in the midst of the car crash, I was feeling imperfect contrition, so just terribly afraid of Hell. I even felt guilty about feeling imperfect contrition after I realized I had survived.
Yet, we need to remember that God works with our imperfect contrition and brings it to perfect contrition when we repent for love of Him through His abundant mercy. After the car crash, I realized I hadn't died and God had given me one more chance to tell my family that I love them, to go to Confession, to work on my holiness so I could be with Him forever. It was then I felt my contrition shifting from imperfect to perfect.
God does not tire of saving us. It is Who He is, Our Savior. We must let ourselves be saved though. How are you doing with that, sister? Are you giving God His place as your Lord and Savior? Are you trying to muscle through and fix all the things? Let Him be your Savior.
LOVING GOD, LOVING OTHERS
A NEW WORKSHOP
COME BACK TO FIRST LOVE
