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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On Christmas Eve, this year, I did a devotional that people said they enjoyed. It wasn’t recorded, so I took the time to record it and place it here. You can listen here.