My brother had a celestial visit today. As I picture it in my mind, the angels came to his home, gently woke him up, led him by the hand and took him Home. He was ready. The last time I spoke to him, he told me, ” I really wanted the Lord to heal me completely, but, I have realized that He isn’t. He wants me to go home soon. I’m in a lot of pain, and I’m really very tired. But, you know,” he looks at me directly, “I’m ready.”
The moment he told me that, the tears came. We prayed and talked and shared those few days I spent with him. I left him and said my good bye and told him I loved him and that he inspired and encouraged me more than he knew. We both knew in our hearts it was our last hug and good bye, brother and sister, together.
Where did the years go? It was just like yesterday that we were still home growing up together; riding our bikes, playing baseball, hide and seek, sharing meals, arguing, laughing disagreeing but loving each other as brothers and sisters do.
As we we got older each of us went our separate way. We married, we worked, raised our families, and life went on. We retired and would stay in contact through the occasional phone call. Sometimes he’d call to pray or ask for prayer or what did I think about something that came up. The years just went by too quickly.
The Apostle Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” For Paul, to live meant to cultivate eternal values. His goal was to tell others about Christ and to be more like Him. Paul was saying that to die was better than to live because in death he wouldn’t have mundane troubles and he would see Christ face to face. “If you’re not ready to die than your aren’t ready to live.” This was his basic message.
We have to be certain of our eternal future. For those who don’t believe in God life here on earth is all there is, so striving for the world’s values is priority. But for the believer it is to serve the Lord, and dedicate our life to what really matters without the fear of life or death.
Death is inevitable. It is a part of life. Each one of us faces it, whether we want to or not. The Psalmist wrote, “Who can live and not see death, or who can escape the power of the grave?”
I know my redeemer lives. And, I believe in Him! I know that one day too, the angels will come for me and take me Home to be with my Father. This is the Christian’s hope. This is my hope and trust me, it keeps me going through life’s struggles, and regrets and sadness. But it is life’s joys that enhance my faith through it all. I know I will see my brother again, and my hope is to sit, and share and talk and laugh and rejoice as we did here on earth together.
Oh, my heart hurts and the emotional turmoil is so real and yet, my heart also rejoices because my brother has triumphed; no longer in pain of body nor suffering. I see him rejoicing and if he could he would tell me, “living for God is worth it all, Rita, it really is!” Blessed be the Name of the Lord!
ritasalomon 