Thoughts on Death & Dying

Along with many others, I have thought a lot this past week about the topics of death & dying. The number of celebrity deaths has been abnormally high, but on a personal level, I have a very close friend that is likely near the end of his life here on earth.

One of my favorite writers, Randy Alcorn, addresses this topic on his blog. Randy is a thoughtful apologist on a number of topics and, more specifically, is an authority on heaven. Alcorn comments:

"God uses suffering and impending death to unfasten us from this earth and to set our minds on what lies beyond. I’ve lost people close to me. (Actually, I haven’t lost them, because I know where they are—rather, I’ve lost contact with them.) I’ve spent a lot of time talking to people who’ve been diagnosed with terminal diseases. These people, and their loved ones, have a sudden and insatiable interest in the afterlife. Most people live unprepared for death. But those who are wise will go to a reliable source to investigate what’s on the other side. And if they discover that the choices they make during their brief stay in this world will matter in the world to come, they’ll want to adjust those choices accordingly."

Death is always hard to deal with and when it happens to someone close to you it is even harder. As a Christian, I believe that death is merely the passing into a better life for the believer in Christ. But knowing that doesn't necessarily make it easier for those of us left behind. We must still deal with the emotions of grief, sorrow, sadness, anger and loneliness. We must wrestle with our questions before God (even though we may not receive the answers we want) and move on with our lives while keeping our loved ones in our remembrance.

I encourage you to check out Randy Alcorn's article "Looking Forward to Heaven", as well as a wealth of other resources on his Eternal Perspectives ministry website here.