Opinions expressed in this piece are solely those of the author.
It happened on a cold January night. An American Airlines flight inbound from Wichita, Kansas, collided in midair with a Blackhawk helicopter. A massive fireball erupted, blazing hotly against D.C. skies. Seventy souls, by count, plummeted into frigid Potomac waters amidst the resultant debris and, with them, the hopes and dreams of those they loved.
Seventy bodies. Seventy souls. Countless lives affected.
For days, now, the news cycle has been frenetic. The inauguration of Donald J. Trump brought a flurry of confirmation hearings, executive orders, mass deportations, new press briefings, and presidential trips to LA and North Carolina, all of this, shockingly, in less than two full weeks. In the dizzying whirl of breaking headlines, one could almost forget that we just laid to rest another president, Jimmy Carter. It’s those half-mast flags, however, that keep reminding me. He is gone.
Upon quiet reflection, I thought of the words of Solomon, one of the wisest men who ever lived, in the book of Ecclesiastes. “There is a time,” he said, “for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die…”
He was right. There is a time to be born, and here we are. We all came into this world the same way.
There is a time to die, and so we shall. Whether of high or lowly station; whether in younger years or the latter; whether we see the end approaching or it comes in sudden calamity, every person will exit this life. It is not a matter of if, but of when and how.
Put plainly, death is no respecter of persons. Presidents and paupers, kings and serfs are, alike, swallowed up by the grave. Knowing this, then, it behooves us to stop and consider how we are living while we are here, this side of the grave.
Again, Solomon speaks. “There is a time to plant and to uproot, to kill and to heal, to tear down and to build, to weep and to laugh, to mourn and to dance…to keep and to throw away, to tear and to mend, to be silent and to speak, to love and to hate,” and, finally, “a time for war and a time for peace.”
It is wholly possible to never truly live while we are still alive, and that is wholly tragic. This does not have to be our experience. We do not have to dread our own ending, and we don’t have to dread the living that’s left to do. We can make our peace with both.
I used to fear death. That is no longer true for me because I’ve made my arrangements in advance. For me, the question is settled. I have placed my faith in Jesus as the son of God, and I know where I’m going when I die. For this caffeinated, curly-headed mother, it will be a simple, glorious change of address. One moment, I am here. In the next breath and the last heartbeat, I will be transported to heaven to live with him. My life will truly begin on that day.
Some years ago, good friends of ours lost their two oldest children, 17 and 15, in a devastating accident. In one moment of time, they were gone. Their parents were heartbroken, and yet they did not sorrow without hope, for they knew where their children had gone. They knew their new address, and they knew they would join them one day.
Such is the peace of the prepared. Meanwhile, there is work to do down here. I embrace it. In Solomon’s words, I find a template for life. There is a time for everything, and wisdom dictates what’s required in each season. Such divine wisdom has kept me off the rocks, guiding my feet in safety and peace.
Protected by wisdom, my quality of life has increased exponentially, and my gifts and abilities are used for the good of my fellowman, beginning with my family and friends and then on to all others whom Providence sends my way. This is my grand investment.
As it is for me, so it can be for you. You don’t have to fear your own death. If you will accept it and make your own arrangements in advance, like I did, you can anticipate your “change of address,” knowing that your ending will be wildly better than your beginning.
Meanwhile, if you will allow divine wisdom to guide you, you will be able to navigate the days allotted to you in safety and peace. You, too, can be an investor, using your own talents and abilities for the good of other people, laying up your treasures in heaven.
“Life on earth is a hand-to-hand mortal combat…between the law of love and the law of hate.” That’s what José Martí said, and it is true. Living by the one brings death. Living by the other brings life.
I want to live while I am alive. I want that for you, too. Whether death comes slowly, or it comes as suddenly as planes colliding, we can be ready for that day. We can live in the light of hope and anticipation, knowing that Love will be waiting to greet us.
Every Saturday morning, America’s small, caffeinated mom appears on the James Golden Radio Show. She discusses the weekly topic with James. Join them in the 9:30 a.m. hour on 77 WABC and other stations across the country.