I could hardly believe the news this weekend: Kobe Bryant, the LA Lakers basketball superstar, had died in a helicopter accident near Los Angeles. Eight other people, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, also perished in the crash.
How could a champion like Kobe, so vibrant and full of life, suddenly leave us?
Kobe Bryant was among the very best to play in the NBA. He played 20 seasons with the LA Lakers, won 5 championship rings and finished with 33,643 career points. At 41 years old, he was a living and breathing legend that even other NBA stars were star-struck by.
He even picked his own nickname, “Black Mamba,” after the fastest lethal snake in the world — and passed it on to his daughter Gianna, a budding basketball star, whom he called “Mambacita.”
The truth is, the vast majority of us didn’t know Kobe personally. Maybe we went to one of his games, but that was the extent of our relationship with him. Yet his death somehow has touched millions of Americans deeply. I believe it’s because it suddenly jolted us to the reality that life is not fair.
Why are people like Kobe and his daughter and the other passengers aboard that fateful flight taken while others will wake up tomorrow to face a new day?
There are no easy explanations, but here are three things we should keep in mind as we reflect on Kobe’s passing:
1. Life Is Precious
I have a smartwatch. Periodically, I will get a message on it that simply says, “Breathe.” Funny thing is, I was breathing already, but it’s reminding me of something that I should never take for granted.
Every day is a gift. Every single heartbeat and every breath you take is a blessing. Don’t take it for granted. And don’t take your health or your family for granted either.
The Bible reminds us, “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom” (Psalm 90:12 NLT).
Kobe was a very successful man with many beautiful things, but I am certain he would have traded it all for one more precious day of life. He was not given that choice.
SOURCE: Christian Post, Greg Laurie
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