Going Gently into that Good Night

We have so many appointments... dental, doctor, clients, lunch dates, etc... but how many of us think about our appointment with death. Hebrews 9:27 states it clearly "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment".

The sand runs so quickly through the hour glass... and before we know it... the mirror reflects wrinkles in skin once known as youthful... gray hair replaces the silky black... bones become brittle and our skills that made us legends... fade into distant memories... what happened to the boring and slow Saturdays??...

As we embrace aging with grace... and alot of makeup... we reflect on our past.. with our heads held high.. but we prepare for our future... we rarely slow down.. as if we are chasing the sand in our hourglasses... frantically trying to control.. to reschedule... our appointment...

Many of us recently have sat in the waiting room as the appointment loomed for a loved one... the emptiness of death... the finality.. is many times unbearable... and in our heartache.. and admist our tears.. the truth of the brutalness of death strikes us with a hit so hard.. no "chiropractic therapy" can mend... leaving us "disabled" to the core... how can the world keep turning.. the news keep reciting.. when someone so precious has left us...

For those without God, death is the end. Just like this sentence. However, to those who believe in God and heaven, death is not the end. For in a twinkling of an eye, we shall one day meet those who left us. What hope do we have if "going gently into that good night" as poet Dylan Thomas so eloquently wrote, is the end all be all..

The truth is in grief, we all need hope...hope for our loved ones who are now gone, and hope for ourselves as eternity looms closer. Dr. Enns of Idlewild Baptist Church in Tampa recently authored a book titled "Heaven Revealed". This book informs us that heaven awaits us.... our appointment... It is not something to be dreaded, feared, confused, or dismissed.

As our sand spills at a rampant pace, we must make a decision. Are we prepared for our appointment with death? Have we come to terms with our imperfection, admitted our flaws to our Maker, and like a small child embrace the throne with a single request... Come into my heart... these are the only words that matter... in the end.. they truly are...

As we gaze at our reflection.. no matter how strong.. how beautiful.. how legendary... rich and poor alike... powerful and powerless.. will arrive at our appointment... will you have accepted the free "insurance" or will you arrive uninsured.. and be turned away...