Death

Death

I’ve had some very close family members and friends die. I thought for the longest that their deaths were so devastating that I couldn’t go on without them. My grandmother used to say, “you rejoice at death and cry at a birth”. I never really understood that until I got older.

Death comes in lots of forms. It is something that terminates us from the world we know it. We have death of friends or love ones, death or the ending of jobs we really liked, death of a pet and even death of a relationship.

I believe death of a loved one – should be like my grandmother said, “rejoiced”. I love when I hear “we are celebrating the Home going of” so and so. I close my eyes, I can hear the trumpets sounding, and I can hear the family and friends shouting with joy – welcoming the person home.

Someone once explained to me, years ago, that death was like a ship going to sea. There are people standing on the wharf – as the ship sails – people watch until there is nothing more than a spec in the horizon. Someone says, “There she goes.”

Then, on the other side of the world, there’s another crowd gathering on another shore. They are waiting patiently. All of a sudden, seeing a spec on the horizon, someone shouts, “THERE SHE IS!”

I’m thinking that is going to be pretty close to what death of a human is like.

Death of a relationship however is another story all in it’s on…many times that death cannot be resurrected. It takes two people working to mend the fences and rebuild the relationship. One cannot do it alone. It’s sort of like a team of oxen that pulls the load together. If only one ox is pulling and the other is standing still, the load is a heavy burden for the one oxen working and pulling.

I believe that death of a relationship may be harder to get over. We often question “what did we do wrong?” or “What could I have done differently.” We brow beat ourselves. Many take on the burden that “if I’d have done this or that differently, just maybe.” I’ve heard Preachers say, “You just aren’t being submissive enough.” I think the submissiveness should be to God, not the devil. We do not have the power to change another person’s thoughts, desires, nor attitude. The change has to come from them.

When relationships die, many times, if the relationship is between a couple, the powerful one will dominate, possibly control, possibly be abusive whether it is in words, actions or deeds. No one deserves to be abused in any manner. It’s best to walk away, with the grace of a woman and not the grief of a child. Accept the ending, not as the end of life, but the beginning of learning who you really are, what God’s purpose for you really is, and walking the walk.

When a relationship is dead – it’s dead – I firmly believe that. And, I do not think that there is anything more frustrating or heartbreaking than to see relationships fail.

I’ve heard Preachers pound the pulpit saying that God abhors divorce. Maybe. But I don’t believe our God wants us to be unhappy either. The one oxen working will eventually lie down – either from tiredness or boredom or giving up. In walking away, or laying down, there is renewed hope of finding one’s self, of having a closer walk with God or saving their own life.

There is one awesome thing to remember about death of a human -when a Christian dies on earth – he has a Heavenly home waiting for him! A Christian on earth is only preparing himself for the real life – the real deal – the life ever after. In life, we exist – we eat, sleep, breathe, pay taxes, do as the law says, have a little fun now and then – but, when we make it to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!

Death as we know it, will be no more. If you’ve not opened your heart to Jesus Christ, I pray you do so. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the light, no man shall come unto the Father, except by me.” I’m looking forward to the Home Going!

Pass a good one!