Whether I live or die, I’m ready.

Today is the fourteenth anniversary of my father’s death.

Fourteen years.

It seems like yesterday.

As a pastor, I have heard people say, “I’m afraid to die” numerous times. I’ve felt it myself, when I was younger. But I never heard my dad say those words. He was not afraid to die.

Years before his death when he had his very first heart attack, I arrived at the hospital moments before they took him in for surgery. They stopped long enough for me to tell him I was praying for him. His face, taped with a tube coming from his nose, was marked with a relaxed expression of calm.

And his words brought peace to my anxious mind: “Whatever is before me, I am ready. Whether I live or die, it’s okay.”

I miss him every day, but I’d never wish him back. I wonder if they serve cake in heaven on the anniversary of your arrival.

How can we all face death like dad did? This podcast gives some answers.

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