I've been thinking a lot about death lately. Recently my husband's aunt went into a hospice home. Her heart is slowly stopping, and with that, everything else is breaking down. My husband's dad died of the same thing almost 8 years ago.
That happened near the 1-year anniversary of the death of our lovely neighbor Joanne. She and her husband Larry lived next door to us, and were the first folks to welcome us to the neighborhood. The kids loved the...ok, I'll be honest, they loved the snacks they always had for them and the building shows that were always on. They got to sit on the Harleys in the garage and pretend to ride. Joanne would snuggle with Sophie on a chair. And she always made sure that they had fresh fruit, which was about the only safe thing to feed our little food allergic son. In April of last year, they found cancer in her lung. It turned out that it was actually cancer everywhere, and 10 weeks after her diagnosis, she died.
On the eve of that anniversary, I received a text from my husband that Chip Lusko was in the hospital because of a heart attack. Chip has been a mentor and father-figure in my life for many years. I was nanny to his 5 kids, and worked for him at a church in Albuquerque for years. He is a force for God...behind the scenes, but making so much happen. He challenged me, pushed me, and let me try things that were way over my head, and I was so thankful for the opportunities. He also was one of the pastors who married my husband and I. And now he was in the hospital.
He is someone who lives wholeheartedly for God. His entire trajectory is to serve Him. He has no other purpose. And he feels that no matter what you do, you should be enjoying it, or quit. Or suck it up and learn to appreciate what you have.
A day after that news, I got a phone call. A woman from a bible study I attend had mentioned that her husband was sick. A week later, she said he had brain cancer. Three weeks after that, he was dead.
I went to the funeral of her husband...a man whose name I didn't even know. Just the last name. Jamison. And it turns out that he loved God too. He impacted the world around him. He was a business owner, and made sure his employees were taken care of. He impacted people so much, that his auditor came to the funeral. A drive of 8 hours from where he lived. really?
What kind of life am I living. What kind of impact am i making? And what exactly will I think of it all after this body dies.
All these things have made me think a lot more about death and eternity than I usually do.
You see, I believe I have an immortal soul. Sounds weird, but true. The bible told me so. And I've chosen to give my soul away. It was paid for with a brutal death. So, am I living up to it?
