Just one more chance!

One evening as I was about to walk through the door of my house, I saw a young man, whose family I had known for many years, hurrying towards me. "My brother George is dying and he is scared to die!", he said with a trembling voice. Then he added: "Please come right away, the doctor said that he would not make it through the night." 

Immediately I went with him. His mother was waiting for us at the door. With tears running down her face she cried: "My poor dear son, my George! He is still so young and is already going to die. While he was healthy I begged him so many times to think of the condition of his soul. And now I am afraid it is too late!"

Silently, I followed her into the semi-dark room where the young man was lying. He had difficulty breathing, his eyes were half closed, and he seemed not to notice what was going on around him. His sister was sitting next to him on the bed and moistened his dry lips. Suddenly he opened his eyes wide, looked around confused and whispered: "Where am I?" - "You are at home with your mother, dear George," his mother said quietly while gently caressing his hand. - "And I am very sick?"- "Yes, my son, you are very sick," she replied. 

With a look of inexpressible fear he looked at his mother and said: "Mother, I won't die, will I? O, I can’t, I can’t die!" and his head dropped back on the pillow and he lost consciousness. When he came to, his mother said: "Mr M. is here!" His gaze fell on me. "What should I ask God for you, George?" I asked. "O pray that I have an opportunity to get well, only one!" He sank into unconsciousness again. 

We knelt down beside his bed and I prayed to the Lord asking Him to restore George's health and to grant his wish to get one more opportunity to receive salvation for his soul. While we were praying the poor young man mumbled with a broken voice: "Not die!...I cannot die!... one more chance... just one more...!"

Days passed, where George hovered between life and death. Then there was a turn for the better. He began to recover. His strength began to return and soon he felt well enough to stand up.

The whole family rejoiced! God had heard our prayers and granted George the desire of his heart. But with the return of his health, the seriousness of his soul-condition that he had seen so clearly on his deathbed faded more and more. He was afraid to die without the Savior, but not afraid to live without Him. He was grateful for everything that had been done for him during his illness, but now he didn’t want to hear about the solemn hour on the threshold of eternity where he asked God to give him just one more chance to get right with God.    

When he had fully recovered, he continued his careless life as before and decided against the will of his mother to become a sailor. Once again I tried to stir his heart and conscience. "So you really want to go to sea, without God, and without the consent of your mother? Don’t be deceived, God is not mocked!" - "O," he answered, "I have not abandoned my plan to get right with God. But right now I want to go to sea. When I am back we can talk about this again.“ He shook my hand, and soon boarded a ship and sailed away.

After a few days his mother received a letter, not written by the hand of her son, but by the master of the vessel which her son had boarded. During a maneuver in a storm in the Bay of Biscay, George had gone overboard and could not be rescued. His last chance to accept salvation was gone forever. Of course, he had thought to become a Christian sooner or later, but where he was now?

Dear Reader, use the opportunity you have now to get right with God. Tomorrow may be too late.