It is very hard to sit, watch and wait as loved ones are diagnosed with illness and disease we know or find out can or will lead to their death. My husband and I have helped care for his grandfather, his grandmother, my grandfather, and then most recently his mother. His mother passed away September 19, 2006. We lived with her and her husband about an hour or hour and a half from our home. We gave up a lot of things in order to care for my husband’s mother
We had to leave our dogs with my mother so they would be taken care of and have food while we were gone. I also missed about five weeks of work. Our seven (7) year old son, who will be eight (8) in December, is home schooled, so we were able to take his school books with us and begin his second grade year while we were away. Our family, me, my husband and our boys, are very close. We spend all of our extra time together. This was very hard while taking care of my husband’s mother who needed 24 hour care before she passed away.
Eating, sleeping and other arrangements were terribly disrupted. My husband slept on a small single bed in the room where his mother’s hospital bed was in her home. We had to monitor his mother and her breathing around the clock. I slept on a couch in the living room of their house and the boys slept on an air mattress on the floor in the living room. There were many sleepless nights and we did not get to leave their house very often because of the constant care needed. Her husband has medical problems of his own which hindered him in being able to care for her himself.
This time was very trying and emotional for all of us. We were able to prepare ourselves for her death because we knew death was imminent. Still, death will only accept a certain amount of preparation and no matter what we do. Death still has a lasting impact on us for the rest of our lives. Unfortunately, the impact death has on us usually is and remains negative. It is hard even when expected; however, I believe a tragic and sudden death has a much more dramatic and damaging effect because there is no preparation. One day the person is here and all is well and the next they are gone, not to return to this life.
Most of us have experienced life cut short. We experience so much pain, anger, grief and so many other emotions. At times we believe life is over all together. Moving on nearly seems impossible and for some it may be impossible. For Christians it can be and should be much different. We have to want the difference God can and will give us through Jesus Christ, His one and only son.
As Christians, we must remember how willing God was to lose Jesus in such a painful and tragic way. Our loved ones who die should be remembered for the way they lived their lives and for the way they impacted our lives. All the good times, fights, arguments, make-ups, and apologies should be remembered as they were. We should be happy they are no longer wondering what heaven looks like and how it is. They know now. They end in this physical life on earth and begin a new life in a new body. Their old body, sick, frail, weak and aging ends. They will never experience pain, sadness or illness again. They will never have to go through death again. They will never again have the flu or get worried and never feel fear again.
Our loved ones deaths here on earth are attacks on us many times by Satan. Satan reaches many unsaved and saved hearts through the death of those we love. Satan needs a stronghold in our lives in order to create fear, doubt and worry. Satan hates us, humans. In the Bible, God’s word, we are told we, humans, were made in God’s image and as His companions. If we give serious through to this fact, we begin to see and understand much more about God. An angel, Lucifer, was very jealous of humans and became angry at God. Lucifer thought he could go to war with God in heaven and win. So, Lucifer deceived other angels and made ware against God in heaven. God threw Lucifer, Satan, from heaven to the earth with all the angels who had turned against God and the other angels became Satan’s demons.
Because of his jealousy of humans, Satan deceives and lies to humans In order to turn us against God. By turning us, God’s greatest creations, against Him, Satan feels he can cause God extreme pain. When the book of Revelation is fulfilled, Jesus Christ will return to earth with those Christians who have passed away during the physical life we know now and with those of us who are taken during the rapture and Jesus, after his thousand (1,000) year reign on earth, will defeat Satan, his demons, and all the humans on Satan’s side in the bloodiest war the world has ever or will ever see and when they are defeated, Satan and all those he has deceived will be thrown into “hell”, the lake of fire.
Christians will remain with the Lord, Jesus Christ. All those thrown into the lake of fire will experience never everlasting pain. All Christians will experience everlasting life. We Christians will experience true peace and love, true beauty and grace. We will know and have the knowledge, truth and wisdom we seek as humans and rarely find.
Death will never be easy to deal with in this life, but as Christians, we will never go through it alone and it never has to remain sad and unbearable. God is always with us. He will never leave or forsake us. No matter what, He will always be there for us. As Christians we can have peace through death and our burden can be lightened. We can trust God far beyond other people, who might let us down. We can have peace when a brother or sister in Christ dies in this life because we know they will return and we will be reunited one day.
We are saddened by those who doe and did not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. One who is not saved will not live an eternal life. This is truly sad. It is our job, as Christians, given to us by God, to impact the lives of those around us so they may come to know Jesus Christ and gain through him everlasting life. So when they pass it will only be a short time of grieving knowing they will be with the Lord. Christians, even in death, can have a major impact on those who are not saved. Be aware of these things and when faced with the death of a loved one, remember, Christians are not and never will be alone. Our burden and sadness can be lightened and shortened if we will just trust our sadness to God and turn it over to Him completely. He will take it on, no questions asked and we will get through the hardship and tough times. We must also be here for each other. I mean, we show God’s love, mercy, grace and understanding to those of us dealing with death. We must help each other through these times, and remind each other to rely totally on God to take care of us through death and any other problems we may ever have in this life, now and in the future.
God is there. Always has been. Always will be. We just have to be willing to face things with Him in total control. We must remember death was defeated on the cross by Jesus Christ. Every Christian whose physical life ends will also, because of their faith, trust and relationship in and with Jesus Christ, defeat death. Death will never win. If you are reading this and are going through difficult times, please contact me or another member of TCSB. We will always be happy to talk to you, listen to you and pray with you and for you. If I had but one prayer for this piece it would be to remind other Christians of the important things through death and the way to end prolonging pain and suffering and to reach those who are not Christians and show the decision to make Jesus Christ Lord and Savior over their lives is the decision to choose everlasting life and the only way to live an everlasting life. There is no end to pain and suffering except through Jesus Christ. I pray many will come to know him and love him and have the eternal gift given to us by God.
Love in Christ,
Sandy Elders
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