THE TRAGIC DEATH OF CALEB MOORE IS A CAUTIONARY TALE FOR OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE.
Caleb Moore, the Winter X Games snowmobiler, went to be with the Lord yesterday. He was 25 years old.
The young man crash landed a week ago – much to the entertainment of millions watching on ESPN – attempting a back flip during the snowmobile freestyle finals. Initially knocked unconscious, the X game athlete awakened, woozily, was diagnosed with a concussion and, eventually, whisked to the hospital.
While hospitalized, Caleb’s condition worsened. Doctors found blood near his heart. This past Sunday, the Lord’s Day, the young man’s family issued a statement that his cardiac injury had led to a secondary injury to his brain. Then, the next day, Caleb’s grandpa told a Denver newspaper his grandson almost certainly was not going to make it.
And, yesterday, the young man drew his last breath.
My heart breaks for Caleb’s family. They knew that the young man’s extreme sport was inherently dangerous; that crashes were almost inevitable. Indeed, Caleb had previously broken his collar bone, pelvis, wrist and tailbone on snowmobiles and all terrain vehicles, not to mention sustaining at least 10 concussions.
“You know it can happen at any time,” said Wade Moore, Caleb’s Dad.
Yet, I have no doubt that the Moore family is grief stricken today. For even if you know that a loved one has a dangerous job or avocation, you still don’t expect them to be taken from you suddenly.
Especially when that loved one is only 25 years old.
Caleb’s tragic death is a cautionary tale to all the young people reading these words: Tomorrow is not promised to you. Every day you spend above ground is a manifestation of God’s amazing grace.
Indeed, when Caleb awakened a week ago yesterday, he had no idea it would be the very last week of his young life. My prayer is that he was a Christ follower; that he spent yesterday in paradise with his Savior.
By the same coin, I hope that the young people who either watched Caleb’s fateful crash on ESPN or saw it on the news do not make the mistake of the thinking they have all the time in the world to get right with God.
Most of those young people can indeed look forward to a long life. But some, sadly, are destined for a premature death, like young Caleb Moore.
Only God knows how many years each of us have on this side of the grave. But we all, old and young alike, can guarantee that we will spend eternity with – rather than without – God by giving our lives to Christ.
