Plants found growing in Region 7, West Texas, isolated to the Abilene State Supported Living Center Campus
10/19/2024
Earth Then Heaven
Mark’s Remarks, 19 Oct 2024
The Sixty Seconds War, Volume 7
The late, famous comedian, Dave Allen, once said “The Irish do dying the right way. When someone passes, they have a WONDERFUL wake in celebration of the passing of their loved one over to Heaven where there is joy, light and happiness forever. If that place is truly there, it makes me wonder why more people aren’t keen to go?” Indeed, we have only one choice. We are here UNTIL we die and then we go there. And the Bible is replete with encouragement and expressions of our expected desire for the pearly gates, for their home over Jordan or to walk the Elysian Fields. There are a few rules for those of us who want to be there NOW, about taking early retirement. (One such is “no suicides”). But otherwise we should be excited to go, YES? Well, no. Not really.
The catch is multi-pronged. This life, this reality, is all we know so far. We were created for it. It was created for us! Our bodies, the planet, even arugula, are put here for us! One example of our hesitancy is medical. If you have ever lost all feeling in your limbs, so that only your mind is active, it can be horrifying. Our spirit is connected to a body that touches four-dimensions and without that feedback, we go insane. So deliberately dying is not a normal or reasonable expectation. Even Jesus asked for a way out. As Grouch Marx said, “No man goes before his time,..unless the boss is out!”
Another reason to stay is based on perceived needs of others that are in your personal world. Parents, spouses, even pets can be the glue causing us to delay departure. For Preachers, Ministers, Evangelists, and pastors, we feel an ache for those who appear to not care about their final destination. We do not want to hear someone cry in judgement, “You never mentioned him to me”! And I can still donate blood! So our hesitancy to move on may be due to work yet to accomplish for mankind and God.
Is there, or will there ever be a plain clear line helping us decide when and if it’s time to just let go? For example, quality of life is how we determine the lifespan we allow pets. We simply but usually sorrowfully put them to sleep. For humans, we medicate the body until the heart simply and finally gives out. No pill to end our ills. Loneliness, pain, confusion, and ancient days of life are simply drugged with the conviction of “mercy” until there is complacency and we no longer hear anymore complaints. I seriously doubt the premise of a respectable death as in the movie “Soylent Green” will ever be allowed. More’s the pity. We will agree to disagree.
For a christian, whether to pray for another’s return to health, or for a peaceful last few days, that choice remains a mystery. God doesn’t take us, although his angels guide our spirits home. So there may be lessons yet to be taught or learned that cessation of life by our own hand due to perceived “mercy” cuts short. Thus the concept that it is out of our hands, or rather should be bears repeating. Hospice sometimes has hard questions to answer. Pray for Hospice nurses.
Me, Im ready to go. Severe pain does that to me. But not at my own hand, let me hasten to say. Im not lonely, or unhappy. I still feel the pull of unfinished chores and enjoying the time spent with most of my human loved ones, pets and some people I work with. And when I do go, please have a party, a wake, a memory session, but do NOT feel sorry for me. Because long ago I realized when Im gone, you should enjoy YOUR time on earth, then get ready to move on to heaven!
