Devotion: Death is a Part of Life
Death is a Part of Life
Please take the time to read Matthew 20:17-19 & John 19:13-19
It was twenty years ago last week that I was expecting the early morning call. My grandma and two daughters (one of them being my mom) would have regular “girl trips” to Lincoln and I would occasionally get the invite to lunch. That always prompted the call in the morning to tell me when and where to meet.
The phone rang. Instead of the standard, “we’ll meet you at Chili’s at noon,” it was my dad letting me know that grandma had a sudden heart attack and had just passed. She was volunteering at church the night before. Without warning, she was gone.
My story is not unique. We each have a number of encounters with losing loved ones. And whether we choose to think about it or not, we all will pass from this earth.
In this week’s sermon exploring “What is Truth?,” Pastor Greg tackled the hard truth of death. It resonated with me when he said that during Lent we may focus too much on Jesus’ death and not as much on how he lived his life.
Even on the cross, Jesus lived with a servant’s heart. He forgave the criminals, soldiers and those gathered at the crucifixion. He made sure his mother had the care she would need.
Pastor Greg shared a quote from Pema Chodron, “Since death is certain, but the time of death is uncertain, what is the most important thing?”
I like to believe my grandma was leading with a servant’s heart until the last hours of her death. I endeavor to do the same.
Dear God,
Help me to do the most important things while I’m living. Help me to lead with a servant’s heart so that I don’t have to face death with fear but rather faith that I will be with you in paradise. Amen.
Written by Randy Hawthorne
Having a rivaled human network, Randy makes it his personal mission to connect those humans to their next big thing. Randy has decades of experience in the nonprofit industry, having served as a professional and volunteer in a variety of organizations.
He enjoys mentoring students and entrepreneurs, occasionally makes his way to a theater stage, geeks out on local history and goes on dining adventures.