Death...The Inevitable
Death usually doesn't come easy for many of us. We cringe at the thought of it, and we certainly don't want to expect death to come upon us or our friends and families, at least not too soon. In my own lifetime, I have encountered a number of times where I knew someone who died. It wasn't until my college years at ACU did death really affect me. While I was at ACU, I lost my grandmother in Malaysia whose funeral I wasn't able to attend. Then a few months later, I lost 5 Nigerian friends to an awful car wreck, 2 of whom I was very close to. And just right before graduation, Josue and I lost another friend named Rob who also passed away in a car wreck. Back then, I wasn't sure what to make of it all. Very confusing and heart-wrenching.
Fast forward to today. We just came to know of 2 deaths this week alone. Baby Noah passed away a few days ago, and even though we didn't know him personally, our hearts immediately went out to his parents. They had to see their child go before his time; the child who will never have the chance to experience life and to grow up learning all kinds of wonderful things through his living years on earth. Then remember in one of my last blogs I had talked about how the Friends Class was attending to this family whose family member was in ICU? She too passed away 2 days ago. And for this particular family, our hearts immediately went out to them as well. Not only were they the family of one of our visitors whom we have come to love dearly, but they had been going through a string of 'bad luck' (many would say) and this death of the relative was yet another pain they had to bear.
Death is part of the cycle of life that God created. But when it 'disrupts' the cycle of life or when it comes when you least expect it, or when it hits before someone's time, or when it takes a precious and innocent life without much of a reason...that's when we really start thinking about it. And then we immediately ask God "Why?". I personally have no answers to these questions. In fact, I'm still mostly confused and my heart is still wrenching like how it was back at ACU. This will be one of the many topics of conversation that I plan to have with my Lord in heaven some day. I do know that Baby Noah's, our friend's relative's, my grandmother's and my ACU friends' sufferings on earth are over, and that they are in a far better place than where I am right now. Most of all, they are with God. Naive thinking without further questioning? Perhaps, but this is a good enough answer for me right now.
Fast forward to today. We just came to know of 2 deaths this week alone. Baby Noah passed away a few days ago, and even though we didn't know him personally, our hearts immediately went out to his parents. They had to see their child go before his time; the child who will never have the chance to experience life and to grow up learning all kinds of wonderful things through his living years on earth. Then remember in one of my last blogs I had talked about how the Friends Class was attending to this family whose family member was in ICU? She too passed away 2 days ago. And for this particular family, our hearts immediately went out to them as well. Not only were they the family of one of our visitors whom we have come to love dearly, but they had been going through a string of 'bad luck' (many would say) and this death of the relative was yet another pain they had to bear.
Death is part of the cycle of life that God created. But when it 'disrupts' the cycle of life or when it comes when you least expect it, or when it hits before someone's time, or when it takes a precious and innocent life without much of a reason...that's when we really start thinking about it. And then we immediately ask God "Why?". I personally have no answers to these questions. In fact, I'm still mostly confused and my heart is still wrenching like how it was back at ACU. This will be one of the many topics of conversation that I plan to have with my Lord in heaven some day. I do know that Baby Noah's, our friend's relative's, my grandmother's and my ACU friends' sufferings on earth are over, and that they are in a far better place than where I am right now. Most of all, they are with God. Naive thinking without further questioning? Perhaps, but this is a good enough answer for me right now.
