Death surrender

 SURRENDER YOUR FEAR OF DEATH

Many people are afraid to die.

It’s always been our number one fear.

Why? 

First, we don’t know WHEN we will die.

Today?  Or next week?  3 years from now?  38 years from now?

Second, we don’t know HOW we will die.

Plane crash?  Sickness?  Terrorist Bombing?  Eating too much?

Third, we don’t know WHAT will happen AFTER we die.

Depending on your religion, it’s utterly confusing.

Some talk about being caught in an endless loop of being born into this planet, but in what species, that really depends.

You heard that if you were bad, you could be born as a malnourished flea-infested dog.  

Or if really really bad, you could be born as the the blood-sucking parasite that lives on that dog. 

In our own religion, we want to end up in the really happy place. 

And never in that other option that’s compared to a hot oven whose control switch is stuck to “Maximum” forever.

Because we’re afraid of death, we sweep the idea of dying under the rug of our busyness.

We try not to think about it.

We get drunk by the daily demands of our jobs and families.

But death is death.

We cannot sweep it under the rug of our shallowness.

Because one day, it happens.

All of a sudden, we sense death walk beside us.

We feel the edge of his black robes, brushing on our arm.  

And we FREEZE.

Perhaps it was a family member dying unexpectedly.

Or we have an accident and almost lost our life.

Or we get really really sick...

This was my experience with Covid.

There were nights when I literally thought my life was over.

In those cathartic moments when I surrendered to God everything, a very unexpected thing happened to me.

I saw death’s face and noticed I was no longer afraid.

All fear was gone.

In its place was this profound trust in God’s affection for me.

And every day, as I tried to inhale enough oxygen to fill my weakened lungs, I realized how foolish I am NOT to think about my mortality.

Because my next breath is a pure gift.

It may be given.  

It may not be given.

Here’s what I heard from God:

“Unless you embrace the raw truth that your life hangs by a very thin thread that can snap at any moment, you will never know how to fully live with joy and gratitude and generosity.”

May I share?

I live very differently today.

Because I know that thread can snap anytime, for the first time in my life, it’s natural for me to live in detachment, humility, and sacrifice.

When I wake up early each morning, I’m blown away by grace.

I inhale and almost laugh.

“I’m alive. That means You still want me to serve today,” I tell God, “I will. Lead the way...”

Dear friend, SURRENDER YOUR FEAR OF DEATH.

And only then will you truly start living.