A few days ago I came across two messages I have kept on my answering machine that were years old. One from my cousin and one from a friend I had since I was a teenager. Both of them have been dead for quite some time.
My mother died in 2013 and I wrote a poem about the night she died. It was the first time I actually saw someone die. I published the poem at the time on my personal blog, Laura-Lee Was Here, but it has recently been having people reading it again. I suppose many people have their minds on death these days.
When I read the poem again I discovered that believing the Rapture is so imminent has altered me on so many levels. Even though I knew my "dearly departed" lived on in heaven, I had taken on a plodding, enduring attitude. Being just in my 50s it could have been many years before I see(saw) any of them again.
But now my mind turns towards them so much more. I wonder what they look like now. What will be our first words of greeting when we meet again? Will our "mansions" all be together? What words do they use as they cheer me on? (See Hebrews 12). Do they live in their mansions now? What have they been thinking all this time as they('ve) watch(ed) me run the final part of my race? (I'm having trouble figuring out whether to refer to them in the past, present or future tense.)
I was watching an old, black and white film and the man in it was dying. He had a big, long, melodramatic death scene and he asked the question, "Does anyone have any messages for those in heaven?" and it actually made me chuckle. I'm sure the original viewers would have burst into tears at that point.
Here we are in the middle of a Worldwide Pandemic, surrounded by death, with the entire fabric of society coming apart at the seams and the Believers in Christ are looking like a bunch of drunken goofballs yet again. (See Pentecost in Acts 2-3). We are happy when we should be sad, peaceful when we should be panicked, hopeful when we should be full of despair. We are excitedly watching every cloud formation with expectancy and are continually glancing at the sky, when the rest of the world cannot take their eyes off their "smartphones". (Not very smart, really.)
We truly are living in unprecedented and troubled times, but these are privileged times too. WE are the generation that will NEVER taste death. The days that millions of Believers throughout the centuries have "longed to look into". I think of how many others have suffered severely throughout the generations of human history, viewing death as their only relief from pain. They lived and died never having heard the name of Jesus. If I have to suffer a bit before Christ's return, I don't think it's too much to ask me to stick it out, waiting patiently and without murmuring, while I continue to tell others why I'm not fretting and freaked out.
Even the old, dry, boring, repetitive statements of the non-believers that have been hurled at me more times than I can count throughout my forty-three years as a Christian don't get to me the same way anymore.
*If God is a God of love why does He allow suffering?
*It's a woman's right to chose.
*If God is real may He strike me down now.
*God made me this way (meaning riddled with sin) so it's wrong for Him not to accept me as I am.
*Just because I was born a man doesn't mean I can't chose to be a woman.
*It's a woman's right to chose.
*God's got no problem with me. I'm a good person. It's not like I've killed anyone. (Oh. High praise indeed! And very low moral standards.)
*I should be free to marry anyone I love. Love is love.
*It's a woman's right to chose.
*I believe in evolution because there is no God.
*There is no God so I believe in evolution.
*There is no God so I'm an atheist.
*I'm an atheist because there is no God.
*If God is real show him to me.
*If God is real show her to me.
*If God is real show it to me.
*It's a woman's right to chose.
*That's your truth, not my truth.
(And the most nonsensical one, which actually makes me giggle these days.)
*You are an intolerant hate-monger that should be eradicated from the earth.
Oh! I can hardly wait to leave!
My point?
" COMFORT each other with these words."
(1 Thessalonians 4:18) Emphasis Mine
Even with the hope of Eternity and the security of our faith in Jesus, death has its impact and forever alters us. But the indescribable pain of the days and hours I spent watching Mom die cannot touch me anymore with my departure so close.
And if that is not yet ANOTHER reason to rejoice, which are also coming on faster like labor pains, I don't know what else is.
Speaking the truth, with chuckles love,
Always, Laura-Lee
Republished from my original post in 2014 from Laura-Lee Was Here: the Night Mom Passed Away.
The Night Mom Passed Away
Hours alone in a room, where my suffering mother lay,
here's what happened ...
I now notice that when I wrote about leaving my corrupted body, it's as being "released" not dying. Hmmm? 🤔😄
Yes. There is still room for someone else in God's kingdom. Maybe it's you!
And while you are considering that, consider this too,
"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. " Romans 10:9
No comments:
Post a Comment
Your comment will be submitted for moderation. Opposing opinions are fine, but please be respectful of others and use common courtesy. Profanity will not be approved.LLR