Decades ago, my grandmother was resuscitated after a massive heart attack & was, "never the same afterward". She would smile a look of absolute peace & say, "I've seen the pearly gates & I never want to come back here again." Some months or years later, she put on one of her finest dresses, complete with matching shoes, purse & hat. Leaving the door to her apartment ajar, she laid down on the couch & finally went Home.
It is early morning & I see the flash of a small fish shoot across the surface of the water.Chased by a predator called Death, he catches a brief glimpse of another world. Though full of fear, I imagine his delight & awe at the many colors he has never seen before. Fish continue to break the surface all across the lake. I can't help but see the analogy in this as I reflect on the preview my grandmother had of another world.
How do people who don't know Christ cope with death? They see it as a permanent loss not only for themselves, but for the person who has died, & even for the world. For those who know Christ, it is but a temporary loss, but full of hope knowing our loved one is in a place of absolute joy, with no more tears, nor pain, nor suffering. One day, people may believe that I was stolen by Death, but I will have just begun my real life...I won't be simply, "at peace". I will be "in joy!." Selah !
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