The End

I don’t know why we don’t face death more as a culture. Okay I do know why. Death is a strange and scary horse. It’s scary to us because none of us has ever experienced it, yet we know we all will at some point. Sometimes death sweeps in and steals someone away, and that scares us too. Life brings an array of different experiences to different people at different times, but two things in life are certain; we were all born and we will all die. My point is that we really need to talk about it because it will happen, I promise you that.

Death is on my mind today for two reasons. The first is that, of course, it is Easter. This is a beautiful day that commemorates when my savior was raised from the dead, thus conquering the grave…the very thing we fear! We do not have to fear death at all because He has promised when death comes knocking, He will be right there with us and we will not face it alone.

The second thing that has me thinking about death today is that I learned this afternoon a girl I grew up with had passed away. She was 25. Her life was cut very short and this was just a reminder to me of how very finite our lives are. We are reminded over and over that life is short. “Each man's life is but a breath” (Psalm 35:9) and “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (James 4:14) To me this only motivates me to truly live each day to the fullest. It is so very easy to get wrapped up in wants or the daily grind or a number of other things we face here on earth, but we must keep are hearts fixed on eternity. We are on this earth for such a very short time that we must work fast and furiously to accomplish our purpose. If you do not know your purpose, well for the love of all that is good please go out and find it. Yes, I believe with all my heart that we all serve a unique purpose.

Because I do not want to leave you depressed on this beautiful Easter evening, please know that when those of us who have accepted Jesus into our hearts leave this earth we go to a place more breathtaking than any earthly site and sit joyfully in the golden presence of our maker eternally. Hello?? No more hurt and pain….and probably ice cream too? I believe Jentezen Franklin said it best when he said, “Do not grieve for me when it is time for me to go, for my last breath on earth will be my first breath in heaven!”