a servants beating heart.

On a previous blog post about wisdom, I mentioned John Piper's 5 steps to "get wisdom." (Check it out here)

Number four is what I've been thinking about lately...

think of your death often

First reaction- "Umm, that's morbid"

Second reaction- "Hmm, that helps put things into perspective."

It seems strange to me, but the Lord has been teaching me about death and dying recently. I went to a funeral a couple weeks ago. And as strange as it is to say, I loved it. A women truly after the Lord. Her obituary spoke of the days when she smuggled bibles into Communist countries and her family shared stories illustrating the constant humility of her spirit- never speaking of herself and even in the throws of cancer, putting everyone before her. Kathy's brother described her servant's beating heart and about the final day in her hospice room when the whole family read Psalms and worshiped together. "In that moment," he said, "the Lord was glorified."

The race was over. The work in Kathy was completed. But she is not dead! She will never see death! (For a powerful message on death and dying...go here...be prepared for chills...)

I learned so much from Kathy's funeral. Oh Lord, that people would say that about my funeral! As her family continued to share stories and scripture, they took an opportunity to share the gospel. "Kathy loved everyone in this room, and she would want nothing...nothing more than for you to know the love of Christ." How beautiful that even at your funeral, even after you have left the world, the Lord will still use you for his glory...still use your life and your story as a way to bring others back to him.

As Christians, we don't have to fear death. For we will never taste it. And when we lose the ones we love, we can give God glory and though we hurt...we can have joy in heart that our brothers and sisters are NOT dead.

I hope this isn't too much, too depressing or morbid...but I've been thinking about my funeral. What songs would I want? What scripture would be read? I got perhaps too excited about this idea and made a long list of songs and verses. Hey, I don't have to fear death!

"Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death." (John 8:51)

But O Lord, may we feel the urgency for those who need to gospel.