After Life, Death Comes to All

I awoke with the words of a novel stirring in my mind. In a far worse situation, than we’ve faced in the pandemic, those who survived the best had the capability of accepting that death was part of life. Since this is how I approach my writing, I’m going to spend a few minutes and words thinking this through.

If we accept that death is part of life as a whole, then it’s easier to deal with the passing of someone. Whether they are close or strangers from another part of the globe, inevitably, all will someday die. How does that affect you? Me? Us? Them?

The Bible tells us that it’s appointed unto all of us a time that death comes. (Hebrews 9:27)

God knows how many we’ve lost during the pandemic due to the virus or other challenges. I’ve had friends and families pass, and alone, I watched their memorial services from miles away. Isolation kept the event closed to the general public, or the trial of travel kept most staying at home.

I’ve been by the bedside of many who have taken their last breath and expired while I was standing helplessly by their side. Hold their hands, and share comfort where possible, but in the end, you are left with death. They are gone, except for their memories.

Somewhere along the way, you pray for easy passing.

How often have I stood by veterinarians as I say goodbye to a faithful friend? Tears and choking sounds are the only things you see and hear from me. Death has come to the life you’ve loved. Their sickness and your choice of timing put you in confrontation to death. When McKenzie took his last breath, I was so hurt I vowed never to get another dog again. Ten dogs later, I realize that death is part of life.

To enjoy life, you must accept death.

During the pandemic, we’ve watched over our homestead and worked hard to prevent the spread of a virus that has deadly consequences. As I’ve noted before, globally, only 1% of the population suffered death, but what most went through on that journey scared us. The stresses on our medical staff and hospitals made us equally fearful. The media, various governments, and their agencies pushed us into a corner. We acquiesced and stayed hidden, and many are hiding still. Burdens, psychosis, loss, and fear became our strange bedfellows. Our abandonment of normal living included stepping away from all we once believed in and held dear, including our belief in God, family, and the American Way.

Accept That Death is Part of Living

When I began college in 1973, one class was called “Speech.” I’m not sure why, but we had to watch films and prepare a report that was often spoken aloud in front of the class. It sounded like High School all over. Two films come to mind: THX-1138 and Soylent Green. I’m not going to recite what I learned from both, but the government-controlled choices of living and the timing of your death. I did not see it back then as an 18-year-old. I see it now. Reject control and aim for life! The actor in the first film escaped to a different life, while the actor in the second film discovered the horribleness of death.

Where we are controlled through life and death comes not as a result of accident, disease, or aging, I began to wonder about the satisfaction of life. These films made me worry about death when someone else was in control.

No matter how much we fear those last moments of breathing, there will come a time when we breathe no more. Perhaps there are several things at work that make us fearful.

1. How we pass from this life: pain, suffering, the mortification of helplessness.
2. The time comes before we are prepared: too many tasks left undone and words never spoken.
3. We fear what an “afterlife” might be and where we will spend eternity.
4. We’re not ready – no matter how you define “readiness.”
5. Life has been enjoyed, and we’re not ready for it to end.
6. We pray for an extension because, suddenly, we want to do “life” better – you know, make up for all our wrong choices!

I’m sure there are more things at work than you could shake a stick at, but these were my thoughts this early morning.

Mourning at Death

Moses is 120 years old. (40 years in Egypt, 40 years in the desert, 40 years leading Israel to the promised land.) When it came time for him to exit the stage of life, he gave assurances and commandments to Israel and then to his successor, Joshua. Then God showed him the promised land but would not allow him entrance.

So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.
And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor;
but no one knows his grave to this day.
Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died.
His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished.
And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days.
So the days of weeping and mourning for Moses ended.
Deuteronomy 34:5-8 NKJV

I see something missing in the way we deal with death today. We struggle with having a period of mourning. Life doesn’t slow down. There are people to deal with, details clog our lives, and we rush from mourning to living at a fast pace.

We need to slow down. Honor the passing and celebrate the memories.

Here’s My Thought

I’ve not been good at mourning. I admit I’m a failure. It’s hard for me to let my emotions out where others can witness the pain, desperation, sense of loss, and struggles with moving on.

On one hand, I trust an eternal God who will comfort those who mourn (Matthew 5:4), but also know there will be a reunion someday. Glad Day. Wonderful Day. A beautiful reunion like none we’ve ever celebrated before.

It’s good to mourn, remember and celebrate life.

When you don’t have a season of mourning, it’s more difficult to close the door to a passing. A tragedy makes us frantic at the moment, and it’s hard to absorb the loss. The slow passing of a loved one gives us time to think about life. In my own way, I’m still grieving my sister but celebrating my dad. Over the next few months, we will be in that season of their passing, the oldest and the youngest of our family. September 23, 2019, and January 16, 2020.

I realize I’ve written without all the “edit and proofs” time I might normally take, so excuse my errors. I’m just enjoying thinking it through. Care to share your thoughts with me?