dying

When Your Time is Up

~ mercyfortheday ~ 1 Comment

His morning started rather early. It was still dark outside when he left the house. He hopped on his motorcycle and left to start the day. But somewhere during his ride, a horrible thing happened. A pickup truck rear-ended him and pushed his bike into the SUV ahead of him. He was ejected from the bike and died at the scene.

This man who breathed his last breath along the side of the road had just become a first-time father seven months earlier. A son who bore his name will never know him. His wife who is left to raise the child alone is now planning his funeral. He is in eternity. All his plans for the future have come to a grinding halt. No more work on earth to be done. No more goodbye kisses each morning. No more laughter from his lips. No more funny jokes and pranks to pull. What once was his future will never be.

I’ve recently read of a couple of freak accidents that have taken the lives of unsuspecting victims. Whether it was an act of nature or being in the wrong place at the wrong time no longer matters. The fact is, someone’s life was cut short by a situation that is difficult to fathom. And family members are left in a state of shock and grief that they never expected to experience. But they find themselves standing in front of a casket accepting condolences from friends and neighbors. Never in a million years would they have expected to lose their loved one in such a drastic and horrible situation. But it happens more than we realize.

Can we blame God when untimely death occurs to a loved one? Do we point the finger of blame at him and turn our back on him? Do we accuse him of not playing fair with our family? Why would he think it was ok to take them before they lived a full life to old age?

Someone else watches their elderly parent lose track of dates and names and events. And it could take years before they succumb to old age. And they may wonder why their loved one is allowed to linger when their quality of life is minimal. Others may wonder why their family member is walking through a painful, crippling disease with little comfort. And the suffering continues for years on end. We wonder why.

You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer. Job 14:5

We know that our days are numbered, but we don’t know the number. We take each day as it comes and live life to the fullest. We are living at God’s disposal. Only he knows the length of our life. We don’t control God, and we don’t control life. Oh. We may think we do, but ultimately our life is in God’s hands. Nothing is by chance.

We can’t assume that old age or disease will claim us. It could be a horrible accident. A freak accident. Or, heaven forbid, an act of violence. We don’t know. But what we do know is that we must be ready at any moment to have our number called. We must be on call for the hand of God to sweep us into eternity and stand face to face with him in judgment learning our eternal destination.

We can wonder about the suffering God allows, and we will never know the suffering we’ve escaped. But we do know that God’s hand is moving in our lives throughout the difficult days.

In the book of Matthew, we’re told that God values mankind more than any other of his creation. Humans are the only part of creation that has a soul, a part of us that is kindred with God. We are his prized possession. He cares about every aspect of our lives, and he oversees even the smallest part. So when he sees us suffering, or when he calls us home unexpectedly, he knows the ripple effect that will cause.

What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin ? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31

How do we know that God values us over every other living thing he created? He sent his Son to die for our sins. Jesus didn’t hang on the cross for the cattle on a thousand hills or for the whole flock of sparrows. They weren’t created with souls, a spiritual nature, that is. They don’t have an eternity. Only man was made in the image of God, and only man has the option to ask forgiveness for their sins and repent. Only man can become a child of God once they receive that same forgiveness. Nothing else with breath can.

So if God chose the human race to be recipients of his plan of salvation, he has his eye on every moment of our lives. He has his hand in every aspect of our days. Even when the days are evil and the circumstances are difficult, God is in them. Through it all, God is sovereign and omniscient.

It’s easy for me to say all this when I wasn’t the one who just lost my spouse. It’s easy for me to say that God is good in the midst of a deep, dark trial when I’m not walking through one. But I have walked through grief. I have lived through difficult moments, and God has proven himself to be all I need in those moments. He is faithful. My prayer is that when my next trial comes, and it will, I stand strong in his love and promise to always be with me.

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. Psalms 139:16

Actively Dying

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

Actively dying.  It’s a strange idea.  And a stranger act.  Have you seen it, though?  Someone who is actively dying? 

It’s a deathbed scene.  Not the place most people choose to be. 

Internally, the person is reliving their life.  They are working through unresolved issues and situations that happened in their life.  Oh.  It may not be pretty.  It may end tragically.  But people need to resolve issues before they pass on.  Some passings are peaceful.  Others are fraught with anxiety and rehashing of events past.  Some who are actively dying ask for loved ones.  They want to see the person one last time.  Perhaps to hold their hand.  Look them in the eye.  Say some final words.  Then they’re free to leave this earth.  Their final business is finished. 

Others go in peace.  They’ve worked through their unresolved issues long before their last breath.  They’ve forgiven.  Mended fences.  Said their piece.  Let bygones be bygones.  They’re free to go. 

We’re all actively dying from the moment we’re born.  Oh.  We’ve just begun to live.  We haven’t hit our peak.  But we’re dying.  We can’t count our toes.  We can’t even walk.  But we’re dying.  You see.  We’re born to die.  It’s that simple.  It doesn’t matter what happens in life.  It doesn’t matter what we do.  It doesn’t matter how long we live.  We will die.

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. Luke 9:23-24

I find the older I get, the more I’m actively dying.  I have to die to myself everyday.  Every.  Day.  I have to die to my wants.  My dreams.  My goals.  I have to place myself and everything about me in God’s hands every day.  I die to myself.  It isn’t my way that I want.  It’s God’s way. 

I have to make peace with my mistakes.  My attitudes.  My words that should not have been spoken. 

In my actively dying state, I need to forgive those who have hurt me.  I need to mend fences where there are tears.  I must work on resolving issues that still cause me to lose my breath.

The dying to myself is sometimes painful.  The letting go of my will. The tearing down of my gods. The softening of my stubborn ways. Oh. The pain is real.

When a rose bush is pruned, part of the branch is cut off. Left useless so the stronger, fuller branches can grow and produce more fruit. The same goes with the pruning of my stubborn soul.  I must allow God to cut off my dead and useless branches. Then he can prune the branches that are bearing fruit to produce even more. I must be willing.