By RANIKA SANCHEZ – Staff Reporter

I don’t remember if I found my revelation in a book I read, in a dream, or through a real life experience – the revelation and shameless truth that everything is temporary.

I think what brought this enlightenment to the forefront of my life was when a 15-year-old boy I saw around my neighborhood quite often, died. (It’s funny how someone else’s death forces you to analyze your own life). I sat in my room all night just thinking that because I am a teenager does not mean that I have a life pass that allows me to dwell on earth permanently. The song holds true that “your tomorrow can very well be your today.”

I began to think, what is the reason for today, or even tomorrow. I work, I attend school, and I associate with a few friends just about everyday. But, life has to be more than just working to pay off college tuition to one day get the wonderful career with a nice house. That cannot be what life is about.

I think we all go astray from the purpose and meaning of life – the purpose of living for God and the way that He wants us to live. Living in the world today as a Christian has to be one of the most difficult jobs in the world. We must struggle against flesh and what God wants. We must struggle against the desire of wanting to tell people whatever vengeful thing that flies out of our mouths and what God wants us to say. There is death, teenage pregnancy, lies, untrue friends, money and job frustrations, and just life situations in general. And in all cases, we must drop what we want to do and say and follow what God wants us to do and say because ultimately He is our judge. He watches us every moment of each day.

And I believe these situations are just tests of how we will trust God. He just wants to see that if through the tough times we will say, “Yes, Lord, I trust in you, despite what I am going through.” The irony of it all is that He is right by our sides to pull us out of anything. Hopefully someone will see our faith and believe in Him too.

This is what keeps me going – the fact that I know God is watching not just me, but my heart, to see if I believe in and trust in Him and His Son. For, I want to accept Him while I am here so that He accepts me when my time is up.

And at the end of the day, I do pray that when my temporary moment on earth has expired, that the wind would gracefully shape the clouds into the form of a staircase where I can gently walk up to meet my Savior and be judged – not according to man’s eyes or words or beliefs, but according to my own heart.

Will God be pleased with it when I stand before Him and He before me? I know the Lord said that His children know His voice. I just pray that on that day I can comprehend His words and that His voice is familiar to my ears. And if the people I work with, attend school with, and the people I walk by on the streets are supposed to be my brothers and sisters, I also hope they can hear our Father’s voice. And if they cannot, I pray that I will lend them my ear. I hope they would return the deed and lend me theirs, until the day we all will have to stand before our true Father and listen for ourselves.

So, know God for yourself, and know that He is the reason we live. Peace.

RANIKA SANCHEZ is a summer editorial intern at L’Observateur. She may be reached at 652-9545.