Death

This has not been my favorite year. For the first time in my adult life, I had to face some very adult realities. The year started off with a bang when my sister-in-law, Bonnie, suddenly lost her father. A mere week or two had passed when Jesus called my Grandma home, and precisely three days later my Father-in-Law found himself in heaven, finally free of the Parkinson's that he had battled with for a couple of decades. Truly, that was enough. Unfortunately, 2009 didn't stop there.

Over the course of this year, so many loved ones ended their time on this earth, it would be too unpleasant to list. My mortality became much more tangible to me. Certainly I always knew that my life would come to an end, but like most, I spent my younger years feeling detached from the reality of it. I recently saw an episode of The Golden Girls that had Dorothy facing the potential loss of Sophia, her mother. In a moment of reflection, she said to Blanche "When my mother goes, it moves me up to the head of the line." This year I started moving up the line.

Before this post gets away from me, I think it is important to clarify that I am not depressed by this cognisance. For many, speaking of death is morose. It is not done. Such unpleasantries are not discussed in proper company. I understand. I don't make it a habit. Or do I? We are created to yearn for our true, eternal home. This side of heaven, we will always long to be there. This world is not my home and I long to see my Savior's face (2 Cor. 5:1-10, Hebrews 11:15). These are all things that I talk about on a very regular basis. Any time I look forward to spending eternity with Jesus, I am talking about the end of my time here. I am talking about death. Or rather....the absence of death.

We just celebrated the birth of our Savior, Jesus. The birth that set in motion the single most important event in human history. The birth of the One who would defeat death. Who would end it forever. Yes, our bodies still die. They wear out. Yes, it is painful to be separated from those we love, even when we know it is only temporary. But that is what is so glorious! It only has to be temporary!

1 Corinthians 15:54-55
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory. "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

So I am sitting on my couch on this New Year's Eve, 2009. Mark is taking the kids to my parents' house to spend the night. I'm reflecting on what I have learned this last year. What did God want me to take away from 2009? And this post is what I am coming up with. I'm sorry that it's not the most light-hearted post. We didn't have the most light-hearted year. In my family, this year was a year that brought death. But because of Jesus, that death doesn't sting. Did we enjoy it? No. Do we look forward to a day when the New Heaven and New Earth have obliterated even temporary death? You bet. But until that day, we will not mourn as those who have no hope. (1 Thess. 4:13-14)

I hope that your 2009 gave you fewer reasons to mourn than ours did. More than anything, I hope that when you did mourn, you mourned with the knowledge that Jesus Christ has CONQUERED death. And in 2010, I hope that we all resolve to remember that if Jesus can conquer death....he can conquer anything!!