Death Leads to Forever...Monday

2/23/15

Mary Wilkins is the devotional writer for Mondays in Women's Focus Ministries. This weekend her Dad passed away. Please pray for her family as they travel through this difficult time.

Death. People have studied it, feared it and eventually have reached the point of their own death. Men have written about it with varied thoughts as to whether they welcome it or run from it.

One of my favorite poems about death was written by John Donne in the 17th century. I even had it read at my mother's memorial. There is a metaphysical as well as philosophical side to this poem...DEATH BE NOT PROUD. Please read the poem...

DEATH be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not so,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then;
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

This is not a Christian consideration of death...or is it?" The bottom line is that when death triumphs at the end of a life in reality it actually looses. In truth that life death is trying to destroy is transferred into eternity. The result is the death causes its own defeat.

It seems that we have spent this entire weekend considering death and how to deal with it. Andrew, a  young man I know passed away a couple of weeks ago in a catastrophic car crash. His memorial was yesterday.  When I opened my email and found out I was heartbroken ...not only for his personal loss of his life and future but also for his parents. You know the thoughts you have...such a loss...so young...had so  much to offer to the world...etc...etc...etc. These  are all true on a temporal level. However for those of us who KNOW where we are headed these losses pale by comparison to what we are gaining...not just for the moment but for eternity.

In the midst of this back and forth of pain and joy a picture of this 19 year old emerged with words that we can only hope will be said when our dash is honored on our memorial day. I spoke to Doug and complimented him on the things he and his wife accomplished in their son's nineteen year life.

Doug told me, "I used to think of him as someone who had been raised by the CIA. He was not all that communicative." Then he told me that  without the last couple of weeks of learning about his son's life from friends he would not have known the marvels of his life and the effects it had on others.
I marveled at the fact that Andrew was so unassuming that he did not brag about the things he just did naturally.

Andrew had accepted Jesus as his savior and Lord of his life at the age of five. He knew where he was going to spend eternity. We all knew as well...about Andrew and about ourselves. Think about it, and, if you are not sure, ask someone how you can be sure. Let your life be a dash into heaven for eternity.

Written by
Corinne Mustafa