What Happens At The Moment of Death
My mother-in-law is not well. As a matter of fact, recently, the doctors only gave her two weeks to live if she did not have an operation on her blocked kidneys. She was in pain from the cancer inside of her addominal cavity, but the pain was compounded by the inability to relieve herself. They decided to go forward with the procedure, and she has two tubes remaining at his point coming out of her back. They are going in today to replace the tubes with shunts to keep the flow open from her kidneys to her bladder.
No one likes to talk about death or dying. Yet, it is necessary at a time like this. We want to make sure she receives the best care at this time, as well as when her time comes and she passes from this world.
Last week, my father-in-law pulled up outside of the funeral home I work for and sat in his car waiting on my husband to arrive. Together they planned on making the arrangements so that when she passes from this world, they will not have to deal with details during their grief. Before my husband’s arrival, I walked outside to greet my father-in-law. He looked at me in a silent protest, unwilling to get out of his vehicle. After a few moments, I talked him into coming inside where he could sit more comfortably on the couch in the lobby while I fixed him a hot cup of coffee. He smiled weakly as he reached for the door with trembling hands. It took a minute for him to be surefooted enough to make those steps into the funeral home. Once inside, my husband joined him, along with one of our funeral directors, to begin the arrangements.
In times like these, I have often wondered where we go after we pass. Do we go straight to Heaven? Are we sleeping until Christ comes back during the resurrection when we will rise to join Him?
I found this article that helped answer some of these questions, and I’d like to share it with you now. Click here to read more over at Desiring God’s website.
Abandon
There’s been so much talk about the book, which has now been turned into a movie; The Shack. I’m here to ask you to abandon any misconceived notions surrounding this movie. If you’ve been hesitant in seeing it, let me encourage you to push that aside also and GO see the movie!
I read the book years ago, and I also went to see the movie this past weekend with my family. Since it had been years, I had forgotten some of the book, but it quickly returned as the movie started playing. It was then I realized how closely the movie actually follows the book.
If you go into this knowing it is just a book and just a movie, you will not be disappointed or feel it is misrepresenting the bible. The movie isn’t based entirely on Truth found in the bible, as others have argued. However, they are missing the entire point of the movie if they choose to stop right there and dwell on that.
Now, I can almost hear you screaming at me through your computer screens. But, please hear me out. Years ago, it was the pastor’s wife that actually got me interested in the book! Now this pastor posted on Facebook that while he didn’t read the book, he did see the movie, and he would encourage everyone to go see it! If you’re questioning where I’m coming from, maybe it will help to know that a pastor and his wife aren’t up in arms about the book or movie. So, why should WE be?
I’ll admit that there were a few things in the book that I had a hard time grasping. The same is true of the movie. However, the overall message of the book and movie is that of LOVE and FORGIVENESS. Who among us could not benefit from both? There is a section that touches on how we judge, when we are not called nor qualified to do so. Yet, how many times have we been guilty of this? If we’re honest, we all have judged people and situations without knowing the whole story. We just see what’s in front of us or what we choose to see. God sees all. So let’s all leave the judging to Him and trust His devine power, knowledge, and wisdom in situations that are beyond our comprehension.
This book and movie brings huge questions we’ve all either thought or wanted to scream at God in different, heart shattering events we’ve faced in our lives. I’ll be honest and say I’ve been there. After losing my sister to suicide in 2001, I was there. While my story isn’t that of The Shack, I had tears streaming down my face in the movie theater as they touched on things I’ve questioned, things I’ve said, and things I’ve wondered. And … tears fell like rain during several sections where God, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit spoke in the movie … and to my heart.
There’s my two cents.
I’d see the movie again.
I’m actually going to buy it when it comes out.
And, I’ve already purchased study guides to go along with it as it digs deeper into the theology behind The Shack.
Open Hands
Laura Story has a new CD out now called Open Hands. She has been one of my favorite Christian artists for a while, so as you can imagine, I was anxious to get my hands on this CD. I am here to tell you that it did not disappoint!
While all of the songs are good, one spoke to my heart more so than the others. The song Give You Faith speaks of a mother’s love to her children. In this song, Laura captures every new mother’s fear as they wonder how they’ll raise the precious gift God has given them. It seems like such a large task that we’re ill equipped for. We’re sure, in all of our humanness, we will mess up along the way. Then, she goes on to share how the things the children really need aren’t things that money can buy but, instead, are so much more important like faith, hope, and love! I’m sure the mother in all of us can relate to this as we wish this and so much more for our children. We’d give them the world if we could, but what we truly need to give to them is a firm foundation in life. What better foundation than having faith in God, clinging to the hope He offers, and being wrapped in His great love?!
She spoke to this mother’s heart through the words in this song. She sings of times that mothers disappoint their children. We will fall short as we are not perfect. And when the day comes that the children begin to question things of this world, after being shaken to their core, a mother’s prayer will be offered up to the One that has never ever left them … and never will.
Our greatest responsibility in life is to lead our children to God. We love them and treasure them, but there is One that loves them even more than we do. It’s hard to understand how there could be any greater love than ours, but that is how God loves each and every one of us as His children. I feel we have an obligation to teach our children about God and to help them come to know Him. But even greater than that, we need to help them form a relationship with Him. As a mother, I want to know without a shadow of a doubt that my children have asked Jesus to come into their hearts so they will have the gift of eternal life. It hurts my heart to ever think that there will come a day when my children will have to go on through life without me. Yet, if they have asked Jesus into their hearts and have accepted His gift of eternal life, as I have, we will be reunited again in Heaven. These thoughts are even more prominent now as my mother-in-law is fighting terminal cancer. I saw it in her eyes yesterday as she fought so hard to force a smile after having received bad news once again.
This brings me to You Came Running and Grace Abounds, also on Laura’s CD. There’s comfort in knowing that Jesus is running right to my mother-in-law in her time of need. Her future is unknown to man at this point, but my God is there to comfort her and provide her peace as she deals with the days to come.
I encourage you to pick up a copy of this CD. Or, leave your email address below in the comments to be considered for our randonly selected giveaway of this beautiful CD.
Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.
