The truth is, we are all dying, and I was given a stark reminder of that this weekend. After an emergency room visit and an overnight hospital stay, I woke up realizing I am much closer to the end than I was yesterday. I don’t fear death itself. I am in Jesus, He overcame the grave, and through Him, I will too. What I struggle with is the thought of leaving behind the ones I love.
I have watched a lot of TV and movies in my time here on Earth. To be honest, much of it was wasted time, like the two hours of my life I’ll never get back after watching Natural Born Killers. Not all of them are that bad, though. A Few Good Men was a really great movie with one of my favorite lines from Jack Nicholson: “You can’t handle the truth!” Unfortunately, I have found in my fifty-plus years that many people truly cannot handle the truth.
As I sit here today, just two days out of the hospital, my body is still adjusting to new medications to control my heartbeat and blood pressure. It’s easy to get lost in your thoughts at a time like this. I think that happens to a lot of us as we age; we look back at wasted opportunities, but we also remember the good times Yahweh allowed us to enjoy. It’s exactly those good times with the people we love that make moving on the hardest. Seeing the fear in their eyes as they wonder if you’re going to die is a heavy thing. It’s that exact fear that makes me want to live. It makes me think of Paul’s struggle in Philippians 1:21–24.
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. – Philippians 1:21-24
The truth is, our days are numbered. Only God knows the count. Living through Melinda’s cancer was a constant reminder of that fact. I don’t think a day goes by that I don’t hear of someone passing; a spouse, a grandparent, a child, or a good friend. When I hear that someone has passed, my first thought is always: Did they know JESUS? I have rejoiced several times knowing a person is with HIM, but for others, my heart aches at the thought that they may have chosen not to be with HIM. It is a choice.
Lost in these thoughts, I can honestly say I am not afraid to die. Moving forward, I plan to give my body every opportunity to heal by eating healthy (as controversial as that topic seems to be) and focusing deeply on HIM. I want to live out the rest of my days being the best person I can be. But my real focus right now is on you, the person reading this: Do you have a relationship with Jesus? My own testimony proves that I went without Him for a very long time. Please know it is never too late. Actually, that’s not completely TRUE. You can’t handle the truth, if you die without knowing HIM, it is too late.
Except right now, you are still here. If you don’t have a relationship with Jesus, please reach out to me, a pastor, or another brother or sister in Christ. We want to help you discover the incredible hope and life we have in Him.
