It's sometimes easy to set aside the fact of death when it has no immediate bearing on your life. Life and death take place all day long everyday. Sometimes it's heartwarming and sometimes it's gruesome. Rarely is the start of life sad, and the end of life happy . . . except for those who join Jesus following that last breath.
So. Present day. The world says goodbye to 70's icon and beauty Farrah Fawcett who dies of cancer at 62 years of age, and before the tears are even close to drying on the faces of her loved ones and fans, the King of Pop goes into cardiac arrest at the age of 50 years and sends more family and fans into mourning. When your number's up, the choice is no longer yours. Actually, it never was.
And, see, that's the thing. Mortality is real. It ends. Then . . .
Those who remain after the death of a loved one suffer loss. There's no getting around it, no shortcuts to the grief process. There can be relief if the loved one suffered. Seeing them released from ever-increasing pain provides some solace.
But reality requires something of us, does it not? As people, we decide our eternal fate. Believe God and turn to Jesus or die in our sins. Our choice. Sound simple? Maybe harsh? Not meant to be. The journey can be convoluted, filled with deception, lost in sin, and hard to find the right path. All along the way, God waits for the opportune moment to borrow a line from "Curse of the Black Pearl", able to redeem the worst and least of us when we're finally willing to see His perfect sacrifice on our behalf. Why He is so patient I can't say.
I know the Lord God Almighty. He saved me when I cried out to Him nearly 31 years ago. He's loved me in my foolishness, comforted me in my losses, and inspired me to follow Him and enjoy His fellowship, direction, and miraculous ways. I've lived on both sides of the spiritual realm. Jesus is the best. He brings peace to death and comfort to sorrow. And life itself is only truly found in Him.
Please comfort those who have lost loved ones, in the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Great thoughts, Nicole.
Posted by: Sally Bradley | June 26, 2009 at 02:54 PM
The choice should be easy, shouldn't it? But it's just not for some. Sad. Thanks, Sally. Appreciate you.
Posted by: Nicole | June 26, 2009 at 07:19 PM
Thanks, Nicole. It has been a surreal and weird week and it takes some reminding to put it in perspective.
Posted by: Tosca | June 27, 2009 at 08:27 AM
Yes, and without Jesus I wonder how there can be any perspective at all? You know?
Posted by: Nicole | June 27, 2009 at 05:03 PM