on death and dying

When someone I know dies I find myself thinking about the same three things.

First, I always think about salvation. If I'm not sure the person was saved I always have an uneasy feeling about the death. An extra sadness and guilt. I always feel the burden that there was something more I should have done. I always hope the person had a relationship with God that had this matter settled, even if I didn't know. Right or wrong, I find myself hoping there is more to salvation that the Bible doesn't tell us. That there is a last chance to get into Heaven that even we don't know about along the way. If I know the person is saved, then I have MUCH more peace about the death. I know that while I grieve, that person is rejoicing in the Lord. He/she is knowing a happiness unlike a happiness on earth. While I miss the person, they miss nothing and only know complete fulfillment.

I always think about whether the person suffered. Suffering is something I've often wanted to ask God about. I especially wonder why kids have to suffer sometimes. If I asked God, I'm sure the answer would make complete sense on a cerebral level. But my heart hurts when I see suffering, especially in kids. I figure that suffering (mainly in adults) serves two purposes: Sometimes I'm sure that suffering and dying brings some folks to salvation that wouldn't be saved otherwise. Like Jesus saving the thief on the cross. In the end, I like to think that lots of folks reach out to God for salvation even if they hadn't before. Secondly, I think suffering is not for the dying person but for those folks around them. In many cases I'm convinced that the suffering, obviously, is NOT for the person dying, so it's purpose must be for the folks witnessing it. It, like death, causes us to analyze our lives and our priorities. It makes us think, have sympathy, and pray.

Lastly, I think of grief. The loss for me or for those closest to the person who died. It can be a loss that seems unbearable. Like missing a body part that you notice all day long. You may wonder if it's possible to die, yourself, of grief. Sadness, finality, how to start life over? Amazing that only time can heal that wound.

Just my few thoughts on death.

simply put

Quote by an American Pastor, Adrian Rogers. He died in November of 2005. He sums it up so thoroughly and simply said:

You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it. - Dr. Adrian Rogers