Saying Good-Bye's
Well today was the funeral for my co-worker. It was strange that someone who seemed so healthy just a few weeks ago could be taken so quickly. Over the past several months I got to visit a few times with her at her house. She was very optimistic about her battle but was also very honest about her fears, which her eyes would confirm at times. It was a helpless feeling to be positive for someone who had everything to lose while standing in a position of little risk.
What is it about death that is so dreaded? Death is as much a part of life as birth is yet one we celebrate and one we fear. The fact is that death just seems wrong to us. It is almost like there is something deep within us that rejects the idea of it. We can embrace life so willingly and with excitement. We fear non-existence but its not like we look back to the time before we were born with any sort of dread. We didn't exist then, but that doesn't bother us the way it does when we think about time after our death. I heard it said once that the human being is the only creature on Earth that knows it will die one day. A gift I suppose to remind us to fill our days with meaning, a curse in that we know we face an inevitable demise.
The Bible indicates in Genesis that we were never intended to die. If that is the case, I wonder if this dread stems from something in our sub-conscience that knows death is not supposed to be our nature? Some primal understanding deep inside that knows we were not designed to die and rejects the notion? Who knows.
What I do know is that the Bible also says God fixed this problem for us. There are a lot of things about God that I struggle with in life, but this is one in which I find some comfort. Thank you Lord.....and cheers Jules....rest in peace friend.
What is it about death that is so dreaded? Death is as much a part of life as birth is yet one we celebrate and one we fear. The fact is that death just seems wrong to us. It is almost like there is something deep within us that rejects the idea of it. We can embrace life so willingly and with excitement. We fear non-existence but its not like we look back to the time before we were born with any sort of dread. We didn't exist then, but that doesn't bother us the way it does when we think about time after our death. I heard it said once that the human being is the only creature on Earth that knows it will die one day. A gift I suppose to remind us to fill our days with meaning, a curse in that we know we face an inevitable demise.
The Bible indicates in Genesis that we were never intended to die. If that is the case, I wonder if this dread stems from something in our sub-conscience that knows death is not supposed to be our nature? Some primal understanding deep inside that knows we were not designed to die and rejects the notion? Who knows.
What I do know is that the Bible also says God fixed this problem for us. There are a lot of things about God that I struggle with in life, but this is one in which I find some comfort. Thank you Lord.....and cheers Jules....rest in peace friend.
I think the difference between life and death is that bringing a new life into the world, whether it be our own children or a child of a relative or friend, is that its exciting knowing that a new face is going to be joining us in the world. The thing about death is that we have grown around so many different people that we have become accustomed to those people, whether they be friends, family, or co workers from a job, someone that we have become friends with and we hate to see them suffer and leave this world even though they will be better off with no suffering. We also fear death because everyday we see so many people suffering and hurting with their illnesses of discomfort that we try to comfort them as well as we possibly can and in our minds we are thinking of "What if that is me someday? Who is going to take care of me and help me through the pain and suffering when it's my time to go?" We should not be afraid because one day we will be in Heaven with the One who created us. But because of all of the suffering and pain we have it in our mind that it may be us one day and it scares us. But that's just my opinon on it. I believe everyone should not be afraid, but be happy to know that one day we will be with the ones who are waiting for us in Heaven.
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