This weekend our church community dealt with the difficult and personal topic of death. Cathy White stood before us and shared about the numerous reminders she's had in the past couple of years about how short life is. Let's be praying for her family as they continue to face health issues.After each service I (Fred) had multiple people approach me and tell their own stories of facing cancer, losing children and walking alongside friends and family members who are staring their own mortality in the face.
Wow! I had a swirl of emotions going on inside of me. How about you?
Let's create a bit of space here for us to express ourselves. Use the comments feature to share your own journey, express your thanks to Cathy or say anything else that's been on your mind about this topic.
4 comments:
My journey is a short one regarding this subject. Short of losing both of my maternal grandparents (both 10-15 years ago), I haven't been forced to deal with the death of someone close to me.
So for me it's kinda like the having kids thing. You just don't fully comprehend until you have your own. Currently my opinion is that death is sad in a sense that we no longer get to see that person here on earth. I try to focus on the idea that we do have a future together in Heaven. Also, that person is no longer subject to the burdens of a life here on earth. And I certainly don't suggest this is an easy approach, it's just the one that I think will work for me when the day comes I have to deal with this level of grief.
This might be incredibly naive and I am in no way discounting anyone's feelings. Forgive me if I offend you. This is just where I am today, with my limited exposure.
I seem to think about death more now that I am 52 and living with the reality that my dad's stroke and cancer are not going away. I hate it and I know I cannot change it.
I really resonated with Fred's statement that death was never God's intention so we all feel the desolation and consequence of Adam and Eve's tragic decision in Genesis 3.
I am challenged by the way Moses lived and the way he faced his death. I realize I have a long way to go in my own spiritual journey when it comes to facing the death of family and friends and even facing my own mortality.
Bucks
I have always had the overwhelming fear that my husband will die while we are young, everytime I get pregnant (hormone overdose) I make him tell me what he would want me to do in the event that he should die...scary huh? I just can't imagine having to raise children alone or ever being able to find another man who I would trust with my children. I am no where near the point of thinking that a loved ones death is part of God's perfect plan.
I don't know how Moses could be so understanding, I would love to grow in this way, but if that means I have to lose someone to do it I'm fine not learning that lesson.
Death is really the beginning of life. We are right now just spirits in the material world..our real life begins when we die and live in the spiritual realm. I f we live our lives on earth with that thinking, death becomes a natural event. We are here on earth in human form to figure out what God wants us to do and just do it. All that matters here is that we belong to Christ, and what we do for other people. Remember.your body is just a suitcase carrying around your soul.
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