Posted on 02/01/2013 7:21:41 AM PST by CHRISTIAN DIARIST
Caleb Moore, the Winter X Games snowmobiler, went to be with 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. Docters 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 mentioned 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, some 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.
Sad. But what lousy writing.
“Docters found blood near his heart.”
First, you mean “doctors?”
Second, I would have been surprised if they DIDN’T find blood near his heart. HELLO!!!!
Anyone with this many serious injuries by age 24 is clearly on a trip to a premature death. How could anyone expect otherwise?
Tbe an official classification of EK Syndrome ... Evel Knievel Syndrome
There sould be an 0fficial ... etc.
It is a cautionary tale alright, but the words they should be reading are these:
And [the devil] took [Jesus] to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,
"'He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,'
and
"'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"
And Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" (Luke 4:9-12)
In other words, don't do stupid stuff that is likely to hurt you or kill you and then expect the Lord to bail you out.
These “sports” are a lot like gambling: the thrill comes from the risk. And the risk comes from the reality that you don’t win every time. It’s hard to mourn someone who has chosen to take the risk and then — as they inevitably must — lost. In the case of these extreme sports, sometimes one loss is all you get. Those are the stakes in that game.
I saw the video, too. He was one heck of a daredevil. The only condolence (after the Lord) is that he died doing what he loved.
So your spell checking is going to extend your life?
This person writes a very nice eulogy and all you can do is criticize him. Wow.
I don’t follow most of the X Games riders but I do follow the Supercross and Motocross guys. They are all in the same game of extreme sports. RIP Caleb and prayers for his family and friends.
Amen!
Dangerous sport.
Saw vid of Alex Honnold, rock climber who doesn’t use ropes, and just think it’s a matter of time before he falls. His mother said there is nothing she can do except pray. I think I would chain my son to a table before I would let him fall to his untimely death hundreds of feet below.
This kind of reckless behavior is insane. A young, handsome, bright athlete gone before his time and leaving a devastated family to mourn.
Sad, yes, Tragic, no. People have always been drawn to risky business, from sporting to military operations. It is called life. Live it or go home and sit in your bubblewrap waiting for death someday.
I’ve spent my entire life, even now, doing things you might call risky, from extreme sports to military service to just being a little boy with too much time on his hands and a really cool bike ramp near the river.
We coddle people too much to the point that when someone gets injured or dies we proclaim we should all just go sit in rocking chairs. Sorry, you go sit in the rocking chair, I’m going to go see if I can jump over your house.
Just another version of Russian Roulette.
Great post.
Nobody forced this adult male to race sleds, and he made good money and fame from doing it.
I just hope the inevitable lawsuits don’t shut down the sport.
You’re brutal, dude.
Prayers for his family
Over 40,000 people die every year in motor vehicle accidents, yet, you let your son in a car. How can you possibly let your son into a device that weights thousands of pounds, travels at hundreds of feet per second and can crash into other several ton devices, smashing your little son like a bug??? How? That’s INSANE!!!
Hundreds of small children die every year drowning in 5 gallon buckets used for cleaning around the house, yet, I bet you had one when he was little.
See, hearing of a death sparks calls for avoiding whatever killed someone but we fail to remember all those other things that kill us all even more.
Yes. You can spend 25 years living life and loving every moment or 75 years watching life and dying with regret.
Somehow I don't think playing dangerous games ranks up there with a dangerous job or vocation.
Ecc_7:17 Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time?
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