Friday, February 3, 2012

Death... Where is your sting?

Hey girls! SO sorry for the lapse in posting! It has been quite a while since I really posted. As I mentioned in my previous post about my life I mentioned that my grandfather died and since then I've been wanting to post about death, but I just haven’t found the right words. Hopefully I will today! :)

If you have ever lost someone you loved you know the feelings. It’s kind of gut wrenching. Some people respond by crying and others hold it in and never let it show. Does it hurt everyone though? Yes, no matter how they show it. My grandfather was an amazing man. If you had been at his funeral you would have known it. For about two hours the line was out the back of the funeral home. The kind words of his former pastors were oh so true. As people came through the line they would tell me of how some time or another my grandfather had helped them. After all of this a truth began to roll through my thoughts... At the end of my life what will people say at my funeral? Not in a vain way of I hope they think I'm a great person, but in the way of I hope I've touched as many lives as he did. On a tomb stone you have the age the person was born and then a dash (-) and then the day they died. That small little dash represents a whole life. When I am no longer living what will that dash represent? At my funeral the people there will represent the life that I lived. Strangers do not come to a funeral. People who you in some small way impacted their life comes. More than even that I truly believe that in Heaven you will see all the kids you ever taught that accepted Christ, the people you met in that far away country on a mission trip, the sick that you prayed for even though you did not know them, and many more who you did not even know you impacted. It is not about what you did although your life does matter. Yes, my grandfather lived many wonderful years. He packed his years full of life, work, and fun. What happens if you do not get the chance to live as long as he did? Is your life still worth something? Do NOT wait until you are older to begin living. NOW is the time. We are not promised tomorrow..... With that said, if you were to die today where would you spend eternity? I've talked in this post as if I assume you will go to Heaven, but I have no way of knowing that. Only you and God know that. In John 14:6 Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life... No man comes to the father, but by me." Knowing Jesus personally is the ONLY way a person will get to Heaven. Do you know Him? Oh I’m sure you have heard talk about Him and probably talked about Him some yourself, but when it comes down to that final day will you know without a doubt that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Acts 16:31 states that if you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ you WILL be saved. Do you have this confidence? I can tell you this.... As we stood around my dying grandfather’s bed yes some of us were crying and it was hard to watch him lay there, but we had a peace. We knew as soon as he took his last breath here he would enter into eternal Heaven! Oh what a wonderful thought that is. As much as I love my life I kind of wanted to go with him! Yes, we miss him and will until we get to Heaven, but there is a comfort and peace knowing that we will see him again someday. Do you have that peace?

You can have it today.... There is no special prayer or thing you have to do. You just have to be real with God and tell Him that you have messed up and that you have done wrong things. That on your own power you cannot get to Heaven. Share that you believe in Him and that you believe He is who He says He is and that you believe he died on the cross for you, but did not stay dead. These are powerful truths that you must believe whole heartedly. With all that said just simply tell Him that you love Him and that you want to spend the rest of eternity with Him. You want your dash in life to be worth something!

I have no idea who reads this blog and I especially have no idea how you stand with God. I do know that I'm praying for you though... I pray that if you have not believed in Jesus that you will today because as I stated earlier we are not promised next breath, let alone tomorrow!

Love,

JEN


2 comments:

Natasha Atkerson said...

I'm so sorry about your loss, I can tell he meant a lot to you.
Your post confirmed/pressed me about something God has been communicating to me: live today! I've been praying about what God wants me to do after graduation, and getting more frustrated by the minute. I felt like He told me to live right now, and not be so focused on the future and what I should do then, that I miss out on what I'm supposed to be doing right now. God can use me just as easily now, as He can later on in life. It's how pliable we choose to be, how far are we willing to allow Him to shape us?

To answer your question, if I died right now in front of the computer (not my idea of a good death place...) I know I'd be in Heaven.
Natasha
A Modest Fashion Blog:
www.natashaatkerson.blogspot.com

Shelley said...

Sorry to hear about the loss of your grandfather, he sounds like he was a great person! Very thought-provoking post! :) Love that song you shared!