“The Ultimate Milestone”

“A milestone is a significant event in life. Often a milestone marks the start of a new chapter. Milestone literally refers to a roadside marker that lists the distance to a particular location. The first Roman milestones appeared on the Appian way.”  

There are many milestones in one’s life. Two of my granddaughters just graduated from high school, a significant milestone in one’s life.  I remember when I graduated from high school in 1964. It was a turbulent time… we had just gone thru the Cuban Missile Crisis and the assassination of President John Kennedy…. almost 60 years ago…. wow. 

Today, the milestones are coming fast and furious for me…. graduations of my grandchildren, our first grandchild getting married, “our baby having a baby”, retirement, seeing good friends get sick and some passing on, and the realization that I’m now in at least the 4^th quarter of my life …….  

So, what’s the value of a milestone? Why did the Romans begin this in the first place? Well, it’s obviously a measurement…marking off a certain point so you know how far you’ve come and how far you have to go. Beyond that, it can help you prepare for the next moment… am I ready for this next moment. Hmmmmm. 

Looking back, some of the milestones that seemed very important at the time, no longer seem as important. Looking back, you know what happened, so it’s lost some of its drama and excitement.

There’s a phrase that goes, “ In two days, tomorrow will be yesterday”. Once it’s yesterday , it loses some of the intrigue and excitement. In sports when the scored is tied in the championship game with only minutes left, there is a lot of excitement…. Super Bowl champs or Soon Forgotten….. but after the final whistle, not so exciting. Even dramatic wins or losses lose some of their importance. 

So, is there a “bottom line” to this BLOG ? Well in truth, there is only one ultimately important milestone in life… the one that determines our eternal destiny. Where will I spend eternity? The ULTIMATE MILESTONE is final judgement. Will I spend eternity with God in heaven or separated from him for all eternity. The thought is so monumental that it can take your breath away…knock you back…..

So, let’s use the “lesser important milestones” in life (e.g. retirement, old age, even serious illness) to help us get ready for the ULTIMATE MILESTONE. Let’s take inventory of our life and make certain that we are friends with God, with our Lord Jesus. Let’s make sure that all is well with our soul. If we discover that it’s not, we can ask God to help us, to show us how to get things right…. and he will. He loves us so much and wants all of us to be with him for all eternity. And that is very good news. 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)