ON DEATH AND DYING
／Dorothy Yang
On November 11, 2000 I attended sister Nancy An's Memorial service.
The Chinese funeral home was packed with families and friends and
flowers all around. She was born on October 10, 1916 in the province
of Shan Dung. She lost her mother when she was 8 years old. She finished
her college education and married Mr. An at 19 years of age. The family
moved from China to Taiwan and then to America in 1984. She had 4
daughters and 3 sons, 17 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. At
the viewing, she was dressed as a bride and looked so peaceful and
beautiful. My feeling was that God had blessed her life. She is home
with the Lord whom she has loved all her life. God never left her or
forsook her through 84 years of life on this earth. She left her faith
and her love for the Lord to her family and friends on this earth, hoping
that it will continue in her family and among her friends, while she
returns to her Heavenly father with peace and joy. I thank God for having
known sister An. I can still hear her voice calling me with her Shan
Dung accent.
In the Chinese tradition people usually do not like to talk about
death and dying. It is considered bad luck. Yet everyone knows that
no one lives forever. Death is a reality. Somehow the feeling is that
death happens to other people and not to ourselves. This denial is
probably good for some people to keep on living. When we reach old age,
to think about and prepare the end our journey is not a bad thing and
it is important.
Death is the most horrifying and terrible end of every human being.
Nearly all human beings are afraid of death because of not knowing what
happens after death. Honestly, I have to admit that I am also afraid
to die. I tried to help myself not to be afraid of death, and I found
the answer in Scripture.
Jesus told the story of rich man and Lazarus:
"The time came when the beggar died and the angel carried him to
Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where
he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus
by his side. So he called to him, "Father Abraham, have pity on me and
send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
because I am in agony in this fire." Luke 16:19-31
"Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene after his resurrection Jesus said,
'Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go
instead to my brothers and tell them I am returning to my Father and
your Father, to my God and your God.'" John 20:17
John 14:1-4 : "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God.
Trust also in me in my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not
so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you
to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the
place where I am going."
Why should believers be afraid of death any more? Jesus is going
to take us to be with him. He has prepared a place for us in heaven.
If we are still afraid, it means hat we do not believe the words of
Jesus.
How should we prepare ourselves when it is our time to leave our
family and friends in this earth? We should talk about death without
fear. My daughter would ask me what I would like at my funeral service.
I would like it to be a thanksgiving service for my life on earth. There
should not be too much sorrow if possible simply because we shall see
each other in heaven in the future. If possible I should have my own
eulogy because I do not wish any good things said about me. God knows
that without him I could not have done anything good at all in this
earth.
I believe that every believer should trust God for the end of their
life. After all, what is faith? Hebrew 11:1 "Now faith is being sure
of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" If the secular
world has the fear of death, we can be God's testimony that Jesus is
the way, the truth and life and believers are not afraid of death. Are
you prepared to meet the Lord anywhere and at any time? God's people
should meet death with faith, confidence and dignity.
