Feathered bangs and Beat It, Gone in a Day

I'm having a sad time. Two of my childhood icons are gone in a day.

Farrah Fawcett.
The swimsuit poster. Feathered Bangs. Charlie's Angel. Guys drooled over her and girls wanted to look like her.

Michael Jackson:
The Jackson 5. I listened to the album over and over and over when I was very small. My family was worn out on Michael before he turned 12, thanks to me. Then, high school, well, was framed largely by his music, his dance moves, and his style. He was fraught with talent and a musical genius. His later years are evidence of his search for....I don't think he ever knew what he was missing. Maybe he did. He always seemed so lost and just messed up. He made himself a bit of a freak trying to satisfy something in his soul. He remained a musical genius and an icon through it all.

Having said that.......

These two people, beautiful, talented, icons of our culture had so much that we, as a society, covet. Beauty. Perfect Pitch. Gracefulness. Ability. Money. Power. Prestige. Fans.

And now, they are gone. Now, what do they have?

Last night, I told my kids, that despite all they have had for all these years, at this point in time, what do they have? As they meet death, as they account for their lives on earth, what do they have?

Only Jesus knows for sure. Certainly some mom in the Midwest who has never been within hundreds of miles of them cannot account for the state of their soul.

What I do know, is that all that they had while on this earth is dust to them now. All the nice things they did, all the bad things they did, all their earthly possessions, and all their devoted fans are worthless.

Because, in death, we all stand before an audience of One.

He is the only fan that counts. He is, indeed, our fan. He sacrificed it all for us. He holds us accountable for every deed, every word, everything. Despite it all, our deeds and words cannot give us eternal life. It is only by His Grace. His Sacrifice. His Love.

So, the answer? At this time, unless they have Jesus, they have nothing. (At this point my kids giggled and pointed out that their aunt, my sister, made a similar speech to them recently and boy, we are so much alike! That, my friends, is quite the compliment)

It is sobering.

For what am I laboring?

Unless it is for my audience of One, it is for naught.