I have a series of books in my library entitled “Six Word Memoirs.” The book is a collection of people describing their life in six words. The first one is entitled “Not Quite What I Was Planning” and the sequel is called “It All Changed In An Instant.” Both titles are examples of six word memoirs people used to describe their life.

The title of the second book has always been on my mind. Life experience has taught me that these words are so very true. Life can change in an instant. In fact, this is one of the first things that went through my mind while sitting in the emergency room with my 14 year old son on Friday night.

First, I sat there thinking about all the plans we had with Dakota over the coming weeks and months. Basketball games and tournaments were in the plans no longer. His life was radically altered for the next 8 weeks at least. Surgery, a cast and multiple doctors visits became our immediate plans.

Second, we were taken to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. I have to admit that you almost feel embarrassed that your son only has a broken ankle while waiting in the emergency room. One of the nearby rooms had four adults standing outside the room weeping. Another room had a very small child and there were doctors running in and out. In the chaos I wondered about those families. Had they woke up on Friday morning like every other day and found themselves facing unbelievable circumstances by the end of the night?

Life changes in an instant. Maybe it comes as a bad decision on my part. Maybe it comes as an accident that was really no one’s fault. Maybe it is an unexpected report from the doctor. Maybe it is a phone call giving you news you never expected. Life turns on a second’s notice every day for someone. Some days it does that for you and me.

The Christian faith provides people with two great comforts when life is changed in an instant.

1. God can use anything for good. Romans 8:28 gives us a promise that God can uses all things for good. The story of Joseph in the book of Genesis is a living example of how that looks in a person’s life. That does not mean that life will go on the same, but through the difficulties both meaning and purpose can be discovered.

2. We have an eternal hope. I know this is both a good and bad reality. As believers we hold onto the hope of heaven every minute. That is hard because it does mean that we have to say goodbye to people we love. I have been there and I hate it – hate it, hate it, hate it! The flip side is that in our grief we have hope. We have the promise of a land with no more morning or crying or pain because the old order had been replaced.

Someday life will change for all of us. Some way, some day. In my faith I take comfort that God can use it and transform it. I hope and pray you find the same comfort before that day comes.