Death

Right now I am busy praying for a friend who is in a hospital fighting for his life. He was diagnosed a few days ago with "Neisseria Meningitidis" It is a form of meningitis, which is quite deadly-approximately 20% of adults that are diagnosed with NM will not make it, even with proper treatment.

My friend is married to a girl that I have known my whole life. She is a sweetheart, and they are 6 months pregnant with their first child, a little boy. The whole situation is just awful. I feel for N as he fights for his life against this deadly invader in his body. But more than that I just can't imagine what H is going through. Worried that her husband won't make it, but praying that he does.

In the back of her mind has to be the thought, of "what will I do if God takes N home?" She will be a widow raising a newborn. Yes, she has a wonderful family that will support her. She has an AMAZING God that will get her through, and she has friends. All of that is necessary.

The situation gives me a chance to ponder death. It happens to all of us, yet we don't really like to think about it. Yeah we joke about it, and we go to action flicks where we watch the hero kill a plethora of bad guys in many creative ways. But, when it comes down to it, death is serious and we shy away from any serious discussion of death. Even, as Christians, who know what happens after we die, we don't like to talk about it.

I know that my great, great Aunt that just died is in Heaven. She was 98 and God called her home. As hard as it is to say good-bye to a loved one, if we know that they were Christians, than we know that they are in a much better place, and I don't mean that as a cliche. And, at 98 she lived a long life and was loved by many and had many fun hobbies. She was a huge fan of the Redskins and enjoyed bowling. So, yeah it is always a bit sad to say good-bye and bury a family member.

But, it is situations like N's that just tear at the heartstrings. N is still young-in his mid 30's. He hasn't lived a full life yet. He is just starting to grow his family. If he were to be called home, he would be leaving his wife and child behind to blaze a different trail than H would have imagined.

Most of us don't get married planning on starting a family and while on the cusp of that we have to bury our spouse. People get married and plan on it lasting for half a century or more. Yet, DEATH comes and claims his victims.

As Christians, life after the death of a spouse is hard. We all grieve. Knowing that our loved one is up worshiping Jesus at His feet is comforting, but it doesn't fill the empty seat at the table, it doesn't warm a cold bed, or dirty extra dishes. It is exciting knowing that our loved is up there with Jesus and the saints. We can smile knowing that they have finished their race. But, we also grieve because our hearts want them back here, we want to hold, hug and love them in person. Death may be a temporary good-bye, but it is the hardest one.

On one hand you want to pray that God will heal the sick and give him 50 more years on earth with his family, because the family needs him. He is integral to daily life in the house. His presence is a comfort and joy to those around. On the other hand, you want to pray that God would release him from suffering, even if that means taking him to Heaven.

Death, is a huge subject because it is so final and it affects EVERYONE. No one is going to live forever. It is important that we know what is going to happen after this life is over. There are so many people with so many theories. When all you have to do is open the Bible and read it to know the truth.