Preparation for the Inevitable

I shared something last night at the end of our Bible study I will share here. We are studying the life of Abraham. We were in Genesis 23 last night where Sarah (the life long wife of Abraham) died and Abraham mourns and walks through the funeral arrangements and the funeral.

God's timing is impeccable. I was to leave the Bible study time to be with a couple who had lost an adult son. So, as you would imagine, my mind really was on death, dying, and things related. Not necessarily a pleasant subject, but a necessary subject. As I stated last night, statistics are astounding ... 1 out of every 1 person will die!!

Fact is, most of do all we can to avoid discussions about the subject though every one of us will face it (if Christ does not return before). I closed the study with several thoughts on preparation for death.

1. Get comfortable with the idea of death. It's going to happen. Talk about it with your family. Of course you don't want this to be the subject at every meal. In fact, you probably don't want to talk about it at meal time at all. But, I can't tell you how many funerals I have been a part of in which the family is scrambling to put together thoughts and plans for something they have not thought about, but now make decisions in the midst of grief.

2. Get your house in order. Is your living will up to date? Is your insurance in place? If you are a parent of a younger child, do you have it clearly spelled out as to who will take care of the children should something happen? Does your spouse know where to find all the information they will need to contact insurance companies, banks, etc.?

3. Clear up relationships. Unresolved anger, unforgiveness, bitterness all make things complicated when someone passes away. This might be the biggest issue of all. If you have been distanced from a family member do your best to mend the relationship.

4. Build your friendships now. If you lose someone you love, you don't want to be left alone. If you are in a church, connect to those in some kind of small group or Sunday School class. If you lose someone you love, they can support you.

5. Prepare spiritually. Ask yourself if you are prepared to confidently stand before God. Will you spend eternity in heaven? Are you sure? On what basis are you sure? One nano second on the other side of death's door is too late to find out the answer to this one. Prepare spiritually.

I know this may not be the most uplifting post you read today, but it could be the most important.