“It is all very well to say that death is what gives life it’s preciousness” -Herman Wouk
These words have spoken to me time and time again as I have sit in and performed funerals. Just this week I had the great privilege to perform a funeral for a dear lady in our church. As I was preaching the thought ran through my mind over and over, “Am I spending enough time with those I hold dear? Am I appreciating life?”
Death, the Bible calls it the last enemy to be defeated. It is that uninvited, silent partner that visits our lives, takes those we love, separates families and spouses and causes us great torment. It is not a fair foe, as we have seen this week with the deaths of so many in the city of West, TX and in Boston. It strikes young and old alike with no regard to plan or formula.
We strive to forego it’s very existence, we exercise, eat properly, get regular checkups, yet every day, every second we are inching closer to it’s arrival. Sounds a little gloomy doesn’t it? Just knowing that it is knocking at our door can send a chill through our bodies and cause us to lose sleep.
Yet there is something about death. The apostle Paul said “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” When I have the opportunity to preach a funeral for a believer I don’t preach sadness but joy! Death may have taken the body but we are confident that they are with the Lord! It is this confidence that says “I don’t fear death!”
Since death, at least in the natural, is inevitable, I would encourage you to love life. Enjoy your family, enjoy working in the yard, enjoy taking out the trash, enjoy changing diapers (my kids are all out of them so I can say that!)
The preciousness of life is seen everyday as tragedy strikes friend, family or stranger.
Be sweet to people. Be kind. Tell folks about Jesus. Life is too short to not appreciate it!
Pastor Jared Rogers 