The Bright Light’s Here? Already?

By Michael YoergerThose who have gone before us – our parents, grandparents, and others – generally have one piece of advice in common.This advice is that we should realize how short life is, and do our very best to make the most of the time we have.Admittedly, those who have not yet come into old age may find it difficult to see the full value of this wisdom; doing so requires nothing less than having lived a lifelong journey.However, there are certain moments in all of our lives when the reality of what is most important begins to shine through.For me, one such moment occurred in late December 2005 as I was driving to school. It was early morning, the road was covered in ice, and I was probably going a bit faster than I should have been.Before I had any time to react, I realized that my car was spinning out of control atop a hill – on one side the ditch was a gentle 10 foot slope, and on the other was a sharp 50 foot drop.Within this single moment, one overpowering set of thoughts overtook my mind.I thought to myself, “So, this is the end? Somehow, I always thought I would achieve more. I never thought I would die this young. Am I happy with what I’ve accomplished?”As I pondered this question, I was immediately overcome with a sense of relief. The car had just happened to land in the friendlier side of the ditch. I suffered no serious injuries, the car had no serious damage, and the experience had provided me with a new passion for my life.In fact, in retrospect I am glad for what happened on that morning because it brought me a degree of clarity that I had not previously thought possible.I realized that what is most important in life is not money, food, entertainment, or even the pursuit of scientific knowledge. While I appreciate all of these things, none of them could ever be capable of bringing lasting fulfillment.I found that the only thing that could ever make my life complete is knowing that I am doing absolutely everything in my power to secure the most basic right of liberty for all people – the right to life.How could there ever be an endeavor more important than this?I have met many different types of people in my life – some who recognize the injustice being done to the unborn, and others who have closed their minds to it.However, those who frustrate me the most are actually not those with closed minds. While I certainly wish these individuals were able to come to the same realization I have, I also understand that their hearts and minds have been made nearly impenetrable to reason.It is in fact those who possess insight of this injustice yet take no action that cause me the most distress. It is not enough to identify oneself as pro-life, nor is it enough to simply vote for pro-life candidates. Truly being pro-life means actively taking a stand to fight for the unborn, doing whatever you can, whenever you can. It means joining with others to work to change the culture in as great of a way as possible.It is okay if you are not a natural leader. It is okay if you do not possess some natural ability to bring others into taking action. What is most important is that you at least make the effort.I understand that those of you reading this are busy. I understand that you do not want to make too many outside commitments with your time. However, for a cause as important as defending the lives of the unborn, you must find a way.Whether it be for 10 hours, 5 hours, or even 1 hour each week, you will find that there is nothing more worthwhile than dedicating your time to the pro-life cause.When the time does come, and the end of your life is at hand, what greater feeling could there be than knowing you saved the lives of others?I challenge you to find a way to get involved within the next week. Will you rise to the challenge?----------Image Credit: James Hill