When We Get To Heaven

 My entire family is still processing the death of my 36-year-old niece. Her surviving twin brother is, of course, dealing with more than the rest of us can imagine. It has been more than a month since she passed away but for him, it feels like yesterday.

Whenever someone I love dies, the first thing I think about is whether or not they had accepted Christ. Thankfully, I have not lost anyone who, to my knowledge, rejected the Lord. So I can be sad for my loss but happy for their gain. And it always makes me think about Heaven.

That simple and beautiful song, "Dancing in the Sky" by Dani and Lizzy captures some of my thoughts. I do wonder what my loved ones are doing in Heaven. 

When I was thinking about my niece recently, I had to smile because I was thinking that she was seeing everything beautiful. She could be talking with the Lord about what he named the stars. She could be feeling the warmth of God's love shining on her. She really could be dancing in the sky.

In my mind, I imagine that it would take an eternity for us to explore Heaven and never see it all. How wonderful to think that my niece will never again know fear or sadness or tears on her face. When looking for some description of Heaven, Got Questions shares this in part:

The city is filled with the brilliance of costly stones and crystal clear jasper. Heaven has twelve gates (Revelation 21:12) and twelve foundations (Revelation 21:14). The paradise of the Garden of Eden is restored: the river of the water of life flows freely and the tree of life is available once again, yielding fruit monthly with leaves that “heal the nations” (Revelation 22:1-2). However eloquent John was in his description of heaven, the reality of heaven is beyond the ability of finite man to describe (1 Corinthians 2:9).

I emphasized that last part because it is so definitely true. Whenever I find myself dazzled by anything beautiful in this world, I know that everything in Heaven will be infinitely more beautiful. That just overwhelms my mind and makes me so happy.

So, I'm thinking about my niece and my mother and all the other loved ones I have lost. And I am trying to imagine their joy at being with the Lord. Old people use to have a saying that we should mourn coming into this world and rejoice at leaving it. That was meant, of course, for those who put their faith in Jesus. Those people described someone's death as their "homegoing". Not everyone is choosing that destination though. We all need to pray for everyone to spend their eternity with the Lord.

Peace

--Free

Mourning With Joy

 It's been a few weeks now since we lost our dear Gabby. Today was the first day one of my other nieces from Arizona and I were able to smile a bit while talking about her. The Arizona niece and the rest of the family who traveled back to Alaska to memorialize Gabs all came down with colds. I guess the weather transition paired with the stress just wore everyone down. I myself was battling a sore throat. So, when talking about all this over the phone, my niece and I both laughed when we remembered how Gabby would always nag us to drink Echinacea tea for a cold.

It felt good to think of and talk about Gabby with smiles and not just tears. 

I have a neighbor whose elderly father passed away within a day or two of Gabby's death. His wife died about a year and a half ago. I talked to her more than I did with him and when she knew she was dying soon from a returning cancer, I walked down to their place to visit with her and take her fruit. We chatted a bit and before I left, I asked if she minded if I prayed for her. Somehow, I knew she was "religious" but I didn't know if she had accepted Christ. She said she would like to pray so I did. I asked that Jesus reach her heart to let her know that she could have peace after death (because I was too chicken to directly ask her about her state of salvation). I asked that he ease her fears and physical pains so that she could leave this world without a lot of suffering.

After that prayer, I was trying to decide how to just ask her if she was saved. I didn't get a chance because she told me that she did feel at peace and was not afraid to die. It was very frustrating not to know what exactly she believed about death and peace. I cowardly let it go at that and said goodbye. Her daughter told me a few days later that she had died in her sleep. Hospice had come and kept her medicated. 

When her husband died the other week, I hadn't taken the chance to talk with him about his salvation. He had spent a lot of time away, visiting a sister in Texas for a couple of months, then visiting other family members for a week or two at a time. His daughter works and I think he just didn't like being alone in the apartment so much. When I heard that he'd passed, I was in the first phase of my own grief. Today, I saw his daughter this morning as she was outside loading things into her car. I'm told she is moving across town. I still think about my hit-and-miss witnessing attempts with her parents. And I feel like such a coward.

I have actually tried to witness to a couple of my other neighbors. Two of them were chatting when I went into the lobby to check my mail. As usual, they spoke and I was drawn into their conversation. One of these ladies had lost her husband a couple of years ago. They'd been married for 68 years. They and the other couple I mentioned were some of the first people I met when I moved here. 

The widow was telling us about her morning, She had been to church (she is Catholic) and mentioned that she'd spoken to one of the priests about praying for her late husband. I didn't really follow all that she was saying because I don't really understand Catholicism. I'm not even sure if she is Roman Catholic or not. I do know that she seemed to think that we could pray for the dead. The other lady is obviously of the same beliefs, whatever they are because she seemed interested in knowing what the priest had to say.

Since I was less cowardly that day, I managed to put in my two cents' worth. I casually mentioned that "in my faith" (cringe), we don't pray for our dead because believers are saved by the blood of Jesus. They didn't seem offended, thank goodness, so I kind of rambled on about liking the simplicity of knowing that I can't do anything to save myself because Jesus has done that for me.

I probably sounded like an idiot but I did get it said. They both just kind of nodded but they didn't ask any questions. Someone else came up by then and the conversation was diverted to something random.

So, yeah, I really need to work on my witnessing efforts. 

About 2 years ago, I bought a bundle of Gospel of John tracts that I would anonymously place around the community room and in the lobby. When people were taking them one by one, I bought more. (As I was writing this post, I went over and ordered a variety of gospel tracts from ChristianBook.com). If I can't be more brave, I can at least do something.

Anyway, I am glad that I did talk to my niece before she died. Like me, she was raised with a knowledge of salvation but never really committed one way or the other. Thankfully, she did accept Christ long before she passed. She had only just started reading her Bible, studying and discussing Christianity but it's not studying or reading that saves us. She had Jesus.

By the way, in case this helps anyone else in dealing with their own grief, I would suggest writing letters to the person. I don't know why but I started writing and sending emails to my late niece's account.  I might have gotten the idea from a documentary I watched a while back. There are people in Japan who'd lost loved ones in during earthquakes or tsunamis - some natural disasters. Some organization or the other set up a booth with an old-fashioned rotary dial phone. People go into the booth for privacy, pick up the phone and talk to their late loved ones. It was heartbreaking to see one really old man talking into a silent phone to his late wife. He was just telling her that he loved and misses her. So, yeah, maybe that idea was in the back of my mind when I started writing the emails to Gabby. That might sound weird, but it's been helpful. 

Peace

--Free

Death, Dying & the Last of It

 I read obituaries. This is something I have been doing for about 15 years. When I was young, I didn't think much about death or dying. I lived as if eternity didn't matter. I lived without thinking about what is after Death. I rarely considered the idea of eternal Judgement. I thought that what mattered most was life - not what came after life. At some point, I started to consider my eternal fate. I wondered, "What if I die and there is a Heaven and Hell?"

What do you believe? Is there a Heaven and Hell? What will happen when you die? Will you just forever be over with? Or will you close your eyes in this life to wake up to the next stage? What is that next stage? What do you believe and why? How sure are you?

Death became more "real" to me when people I knew began to die. I wondered where they were. I would think about how they had lived their lives and what they had lived for. And then I realized that one day, my obituary is the one people would be reading. That is when I started paying attention to death notices. I was curious about how strangers - the famous and the non-famous - had died. How old were they when they died? What had caused them to die? And then, as I read more obituaries, I realized that no matter how famous, infamous, celebrated or ordinary someone was, Death was their ending. We, the living, after we finished grieving, we went on living.

When Michael Jackson died, I remembered how "larger than life" he'd always seemed. From the time I was a tweeny-bopper until the day Jackson died, he was the biggest celebrity. I'd lived through the Jackson 5 cartoons and tours and the brief breakout careers of some of the guys. I'd lived through LaToya trying to breakout, Janet actually breaking out and making it big. I'd watched the show where Michael moonwalked right into megastardom to eventually become known as "The King of Pop". And when he died, he was just dead. People cried and raved and mourned hard until they went on with their own lives. Micheal Jackson became a memory. He was someone who had lived so large and then he was just dead. Dead like someone who'd never been known for anything but living a regular life. Dead like someone who'd been so unknown their body had gone unclaimed. Dead is dead is dead is dead. All that fame and talent and clamor of his fans didn't change the fact that he was dead.

So. How does any of a person's life here among the living matter to their after-life existence? Is Michael Jackson famous where he now exists? Does he matter any more than anyone else where he now exists? I don't think so. I think he - like we all will - is living his eternal life however he is living his eternal life. It will be the same for you and for me and for the person who dies unknown and unmourned.

And so when I see people who give away everything to be famous or known or celebrated or rich or envied, I think about the dead. I think about the existence after this one.

So, yeah, I think that we all need a reminder of how close death is to us. It doesn't matter how old or young you are, you can be taking your last breath at this moment.

There are times when I get bogged down in regret or get high on pride. That's when I need a reminder. There are some people who are so busy living that they forget they will, one day, die. That's when they need a reminder.

Your choices matter. Your actions matter. One day, you will cease to exist in a living body. 

How important is money? Fame? Is anything worth your soul?

You are dying. I am dying. That is a fact. 

Being beautiful won't keep Death away. Being thin or rich or powerful - none of that can defeat Death. 

There is Life, there is Death, and there are Consequences. It all matters. 

Some people are banking on this life. They are after everything they can gain here - power, wealth, beauty, fame, etc. They are selling eternity for the now. And there is nothing wrong with having power, wealth, beauty, fame or etc. The error is in choosing it over eternity.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. (2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV)

When you need to be reminded of life and death and eternal existence, go read some "notable" obituaries. Read them and think about what matters here in the now and what will matter there in the next - whatever that "next" is.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21 ESV) 

Think about the next life as you live this one. It matters.

Peace

--Free

The Most Serious Thought Experiment

Take some time with this. Take this opportunity to think deeply about this most important thing. 

Imagine that you just died. Now imagine Eternity.

 Maybe you were important enough that the news broke into regular programming. Maybe you were so forgotten on earth that there was no obituary at all. Maybe those of us still alive don't even know that you have died. 

Now you stand before God, facing eternity.

God only asked that you forsake other "gods" and idols. He asked that you believe. He gave you proof of His being. You could look around at nature and the wonders of life and know that He is. 

Maybe you didn't hear about Jesus but you knew that everything that is did not come from nothing. You saw a newborn child, opening their eyes for the first time to see this world. You watched that child come out of the womb, knowing how to breathe and think and wonder. You saw the child learn language and numbers and time. Maybe that told you of God.

Maybe you did hear about Jesus. Maybe you knew and believed but you never finished reading the Bible so you didn't get every detail of what he sacrificed. Maybe you did.

Maybe you were of a brilliant mind and studied the maths and sciences. Maybe you decided that you didn't believe in God because of all that you learned. Maybe you decided that there is a God because of all that you learned.

Maybe you were never very smart. Maybe you never learned to read or write or count. But maybe you still knew of God. 

Maybe you were wealthy and privileged to enjoy every material thing. Maybe you were only well off, or comfortable, or maybe you were poor. 

Maybe you woke up every day, healthy and eager to live. Maybe you struggled with depression or pain or all manner of suffering.

Maybe you were loved by a lot of people, celebrated and lauded and envied. Maybe you just went through life as one of the many people who garner no special attention.

Maybe you were beautiful or handsome; tall and thin, big and robust; shapely and attractive; short and stumpy; ugly of face and plain of body. Maybe you were deformed or crippled or blind or mentally challenged. 

Maybe you were always happy or always sad or just simply living with no expectations of this world.

Maybe you were a good person - generous and kind and loving. Maybe you were a great father, son, wife, husband, or daughter. Maybe you fed the hungry and clothed the poor. 

Maybe you went to church often. Maybe you served in the church you attended. Maybe you never cursed, smoked, drank, took drugs, committed adultery or committed sexual sins. Maybe you were more "moral" and upright than most people who claim to be Christians. 

Maybe you were a good Buddist or Hindu or Muslim or Mormon or Roman Catholic. Maybe you were a committed Mason, Scientologist, or a non-affiliated member of society.  Maybe you never ate meat. Maybe you obeyed all the laws. Maybe you were a good citizen.

Maybe people respected you in your career. Maybe you invented life-saving equipment; discovered life-saving medicines; or found new ways to help people live healthier. 

Maybe you conquered the world with your voice or your intellect or your cunning. Maybe you were charismatic or ruthless or powerful or a titan. 

Maybe you never did anything outstanding or special. Maybe you were un "under-achiever", a "loser", a "slacker", a "drain on society". 

Maybe you traveled the world and saw every wonder on earth. Maybe you slept in fine hotels and dined on meals prepared for royalty. Maybe your home was palatial and luxurious. Maybe cars and airplanes sat ready at your command. Maybe you lived on the streets or ate from charity, or wore clothes thrown out by others. 

Maybe you donated money to open libraries and schools and maybe your name is on buildings of good reputation. 

Maybe you shouted praise from the rooftops or whispered prayers in your heart. Maybe you cursed God eloquently or defied him in the dark.

Back among the living, some might be wishing that you rest in peace. But they can't be sure. But you will know. Eternally.

Some might be wishing that you had a moment to ask forgiveness. But they can't be sure. But you will know. Forever.

Some might believe that they know you are safely in a peaceful rest. But they can't be sure. But you will know. Always.

No one can be sure what is in your heart but God. The God you believe in or the God you rejected? The God you challenged or the God you prayed to? The God you chose or the God you turned away from?

No one here on earth can be sure. But you and God will know because whoever you were, you are now dead. And you stand before God, facing eternity.

Will you be thankful for the rest you have earned? Will you be frightened of the consequences of your beliefs? 

You are dead and facing eternity. What will your eternity consist of?

For those of us still alive, we have time - if only this very moment - to think and to be sure. 

Don't reject what you haven't carefully considered. Don't turn away from what you cannot dismiss with certainty. Don't discard out of anger or hatred. Don't dismiss what frightens you without knowing why it frightens you. Know why. Think, think, think, and consider.

No matter what your life is among the living, your eternity is coming. Every day that you live, prepare to be eternally not among the living. The choice you make while you still can choose will be with you for all of the rest of time. 

As you live this part of your existence, prepare for the next part - the eternal part - that is coming.

There is nothing but the blood of Jesus that will be your eternal salvation and mind. Nothing - not a priest, a church, a parent or child; not your career or talent or wealth; not your looks or abilities; not your fame or notoriety; not your social connections; not your good works; not lighting candles or praying to saints; not sitting in a confessional or being blessed by some man or woman. 

Are you sure? Of what you believe or not believe in? Are you absolutely certain? Are you willing to stake all eternity on your choice?

Peace

--Free

P.S.: It occurs to me that, as I was writing this, deaths were occurring. Deaths are always occurring. Think about that. You or I could be next.

I am praying that everyone takes the time to consider their life and their coming death. Many of us are afraid to think about our deaths. We don't want to think about what death will mean to us. We will think about what our death means to those we leave behind before we think about what we are dying into. 

We buy burial insurance and make wills and choose where and whether our bodies will be in the ground, crypt or urn. Our families will have to write an obituary or arrange a wake or memorial of funeral service. Someone will have to clean and dress our dead bodies, comb our hair, apply makeup, and make us presentable for viewing - or ready us from cremation and disposal. But that is just the flesh and bone of what is left of us.

The essential part of what we are, the part that lives on - that is the most important part. What plans have we made for that?

Please take the time to ready yourself for the biggest part of existence, what I think of as the "forever and ever" part.

Rest In Peace?

 When I was reading Flipboard obituaries the other day (the older I get, the more I pay attention to death notices), one article about a famous person made one of those statements that always makes me pause. 

"He(or she) is now free of their pain". Or: "They are at peace now." Or: "They are with the angels now".

These all are touching and probably a comfort to those left in mourning. 

But...

As a Christian, I always wonder why we just assume that everyone who dies goes on to "rest in peace" or "dance with the angels" or that they are "out of their pain". What if they rejected the love of God? What if they denied His being? What if they just never even gave Him more than a passing thought?

Are those people resting in peace? I don't think so. I actually know that they are not because the Bible tells us so.

I recently lost someone I was once very close to. When I knew them, this person was ambivalent about God and, sometimes, even irritated by the thought of there being a God. When I heard that this person had died, I hoped that they had perhaps cried out to God for mercy. I pray that for everyone who disbelieves. I even hope that for the worse persons I can think of. After all, I could have died in my ignorance and complacency.

So, while I never say to anyone in mourning that their loved one is not "resting peacefully" or ballroom dancing with angels, I do have to almost gnaw off my tongue. What would be the point? The dead are past finding the salvation they ignored while living. What I try sometimes to do is remind the grief-stricken that this might be a chance to consider their own mortality.

In my shame, I have to admit that I don't always point this out when I have the chance. 

Pay attention to death, people. Our death will have more impact on us than any part of our life ever could. 

I wish I could say about every person I know that when they die, they are at peace. I wish I could say that we will all be in Heaven. But we can't wish for someone what they don't want for themselves.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. John 3:36

Notice that the verse mentions belief and obedience. So, those professing belief need to learn about obedience.

That's it for this post but in my next one, I want to talk about why I don't understand Atheism or Agnosticism. I've heard some of them claim that if God is so loving, He would not send people to Hell. I wonder if they ever realize that God doesn't send them to Hell but they go with their unbelief?

Peace

--Free