Death Is Real and We Have An Appointment With It…

October 13th, 2008

Today, I attended the funeral of a man that was on fire for God.  It was obvious and he was the nicest man that I’ve ever met.  He always smiled and up until his last breath, he was telling others about Jesus Christ.

I didn’t know this man for very long, although at age 90, he’d touched many lives, mine included.

He greeted us at the door on Sunday mornings, wearing vibrant colored ties and jackets.  He always had a smile.  He had a way of making you feel welcome.

The message that was delivered had the title of this blog post, “Death is real and we have an appointment with it.”

We do.  We’re all going to die.  We may not know when, but we’re all going to die.

I’m not afraid of death, the death that this man had encountered last Thursday.  That death, I’m okay with.  It means that I have fulfilled the purpose that the Lord intended for me and I’m going home.  I’m cool with that.

What I am afraid of is a spiritual death, one that removes me far from my walk with the Lord and unfortuantly, it’s all to easy to flirt with that death.

As I listened to those that knew him far longer than I did, telling those in the sanctuary what he did in his life, what he accomplished and the lives he touched, I was planning my own funeral.

Morbid, I know.  Incredibly morbid, but something that I think I needed to ponder today.  In a society where we get so wrapped up in the World and not the Word, I need to determine what people will say about me when I’m laying in a casket, on display, and people are paying their last respects.

I want people to talk about the mother I am.  I want people to admire the way that I lived my life.  I want people to talk about my heart for God, my walk with the Lord, my passion for Christ.

I want people to say that I’ve made a difference in their lives.  I want to know that when I get to Heaven, there are going to be people there that I influenced even though I never met them face to face.

It’s a tall order.  I need to work on something and get some things straight.  I need to start LISTENING to God, becuase He’s talking to me, but I’m too busy to listen.  I’m in my own little world, doing what I want to do and will do so until I get “caught” and go running back like a dog with my tail between my legs.

I know that He’ll scoop me up, just like the father that He is, and forgive me and let me start over, but why do I have to let it get to that point?

Yesterday, when I said things were on the up and up?  They are!  Things are good.  Things are where I want them to be.  But are they where He wants them to be?

With on thing that’s going on, I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is.  I know that I am exactly where I’m supposed to be.  However, there are other things going on in my life that I know are not where He wants me to be, but it’s where I want to be.

And I know that.  I knew it going it, yet I still did what I wanted to do.  But I don’t want to walk away.  I don’t want to.  I’m kicking and screaming.

And much like we learned yesterday in church, when Pharoh asked Moses to pray for the frogs who had invaded everything to go away and Moses asked when, Pharoh responded with “Tomorrow”.

Tomorrow?  I would want the frogs gone TODAY.  But the frogs in my life?  I’m right up there with the Pharoh.  Tomorrow.

Now I understand where Pharoh was coming from.

The problem is, we’re not guarunteed tomorrow.  We’re only guarunteed today.

And if my funeral was tomorrow, while there would be niceties as I’m not a horrible person, there would be frogs all over the place.

And at my funeral, I don’t want frogs.

So I’m off to contemplate a little more and spend some time with the Lord.

He deserves to hear from me more than He has been.

Until next time…

Photobucket
Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Kirtsy
  • StumbleUpon
  • TwitThis

7 Responses to “Death Is Real and We Have An Appointment With It…”

  1. AvatarMusings of a Housewife
    1

    WOW, girl. This is so incredibly well written and has really convicted me today. I know you have a LOT on your plate. I’m the same. I keep doing one more thing and one more thing because I LOVE being busy. But I keep getting this nudge that I am getting too busy for my family, and too busy for God. And that terrifies me because I know from experience that the frogs DO come.

    Praying for you and for your prioritizing process and that God will do His work in you! :-)

    Reply to this comment.
  2. AvatarAnnabelle@Christian Momma
    2

    Amen! I don’t want frogs either!!

    Reply to this comment.
  3. AvatarArika
    3

    Heather, first let me say your post has been me too many times. Second, this post got to me…ALOT! I too have way too many frogs that I don’t want at my funeral, but the changes and ways of my life are slowly moving in the direction God would like.
    Third, WOAH girl that was deep! Thanks.

    Reply to this comment.
  4. AvatarTo Think Is To Create
    4

    Just wanted to say hugs.

    xoxo

    Reply to this comment.
  5. AvatarHeather @ Not a DIY Life
    5

    yeah, this has been on my mind too. My aunt passed away this weekend from cancer. She was diagnosed in June but was doing chemo. Her body couldn’t take it and it shut down.

    My struggle is “did she know the Lord?” I cannot answer that with a resounding “yes!” and so I feel like I should have done more to share the love of Christ with her.

    Shoulda, woulda, coulda. Time to live in the now. What am I doing to share the love of Christ TODAY?

    Thanks for sharing, Heather. {{Hugs}}

    Reply to this comment.
  6. AvatarKatherine (SOLO dot MOM)
    6

    Amen. Thank you for your transparency. Our Sunday sermon was off the charts this week, and I am still gleaning from it. I felt my toes being stepped on but God is good and I am glad he reminded me (once again) of areas I need to work on - while there is still hope and breath in me to do so.

    Great blog.

    And very soon we need to do lunch - maybe Friday?

    Reply to this comment.
  7. AvatarCathy | Mommy Motivation
    7

    Heather, You have changed a lot since I started reading you, not too long ago I think. Your heart for Jesus and the teens, and your kids are very evident. Of course we all have “frogs” (I didn’t read these posts in order - at LAST I know what all the frogginess is about! :) What I’m particularly grateful at this time in my life is that God knows about my frogs, and doesn’t have unrealistic expectations of me. One step at a time, baby. :)Hugs, Cathy

    Reply to this comment.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS

Leave a Reply

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

Speak your mind