The past two months I have thought a lot about how short life is. We have one chance, one moment, one time to make a difference in someone’s life. On April 18, Pat Seibert, the Saraland YMCA Executive Director, tragically drowned at the age of thirty-seven after saving his son from a river. Mr. Seibert has left an impact in so many people’s lives, mine included. He was always a friendly face who encouraged me as I have been preparing for Miss Alabama over the past two months.
The beginning of this year, God showed me this same message with the death of Tammy Linton in August and then the death of my grandmother in September. God is trying to speak to this community. He is reminding us that we are to live for the eternal, to encourage, invest, and show mercy and grace because we are truly all flawed people who have been saved by grace.
I can honestly say this past year has been the most difficult year of my life. I have been faced with mental, emotional, and physical challenges like never before. I have wanted so many days to just give up. As I have prepared for Miss Alabama, the constant thought that has gone through my head is whether or not in ten years it is going to matter whether I had my hair perfectly in place, my nails “properly” groomed, or the perfect dress, and the answer I have consistently come up with is NO. However, the way I carry myself and the attitude I present will last, and if it is not that of Christ then I have not done what God has called me to do, and that is to be His servant wherever I may be placed.
We live in such a superficial society, and if we do not begin to take a stand as Christ’s ambassadors, we are going to continue to push people away from the only person who can save them, and that is Jesus Christ. Girls, stop worrying about whether or not you have on lipstick. Guys, stop worrying about putting hair gel in your hair, and start praying for God to use you in a mighty way. It’s time to get serious, myself included. If we do not unite and begin to love one another, begin to make time for Jesus and to not sacrifice that time or cut short that time for anything, then our society is never going to change, and we are going to continue to look like the judgmental, know it all Christians who only appear to have it all together. It’s time to get real and be honest, or before you know it, you are going to be too late. You are going to have never known the intimacy with the One who created you, who will love you unconditionally, who will not judge you and wants only good for you because you are too worried about keeping up a facade. Just think about it! Remember Christ gave his life so we might have LIFE and have it abundantly.
Alana
