Don't you love a good cliff hanger???
No? Neither do I honestly..but it does keep me hungry for the continuation of a good read. When last we met we spoke of death and its gifts. I will not recant on that statement. Death does leave gifts it doesn't matter that we don't welcome them.
So far in my life time I have buried: my natural father; a son; uncle; grandfather; paternal grandmother; beautiful mother n law; an aunt and a host of friends along with warm acquaintances. Some separations Have just tore me up. I didn't care if I saw another sunrise...so great was the pain. But God!! He saw me through it all!
No matter the warning, sometimes through dreams or visions I am never prepared for the actual departure. I always try and guess who is leaving next based on age or health but I am always surprised..never pleasantly. Usually, after the initial shock of it all come the fond memories, loving thoughts and the best of all gifts perspective.
Think about it.. the thoughts of the deceased person, unless shared, dies with them. Their plans, fears, both the to-do and bucket list disappear. From dust we came and from the ground we will return. Man (human beings) is a living soul. Once the natural portion of that man ceases to function the soul lives on either in Glory (Heaven with the Lord) or Hell there is no in between. No purgatory and no do-overs (re-incarnation).
What is left is perspective. Perspective helps order priorities. Which in turn helps us govern our conduct that much better. Home-goings always make me treat my fellow man a little kinder. Why? Because whatever is going on with that person at the moment where we intersect I can make THE difference. I can choose to leave him/her with a good positive memory or I can add to their weight. If I knew that they only had hours left to walk the earth, would I fuss because they cut me off in traffic? Would I become impatient if they had 30 items in a 20 or less check out? Would I lend a hand to him when he seemed to be in a jam? Of course I would! You probably would too!
Sometimes perspective is adopted as a way of life; sometimes it is lost on the foolish. Time always tells.
I choose to use the pain of my loss to remind myself that life is temporary. Daily we each get an opportunity to leave the world a little better than we found it. None of us can stay forever, but our deeds/;kindness, love, giving and selflessness or self-centered, selfish, mean, low, callous or bias will travel on long after we have departed.
This Holiday Season make it one that marks the begging of a new era of perspective! Use it as a platform to leave a positive and fruitful legacy! Something someone else can build off of and continue your good work.
Absent from the body means you are present with the Lord. I can't answer for you but I want Him, in my time of sunset, to welcome me into His kingdom. I want those who live beyond me to take what I have started and continue to pay-it forward so a whole new generation can be introduced to the God we serve via kind acts, thoughtful deeds and meaningful fulfillment of our tasks.
-sj
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