Recently we experienced a death in the family. It’s interesting how God uses times like these to remind us that we are on His time and not ours.
You see we received a phone call early one Saturday morning that our family member was in the hospital and not doing so well. Being a Saturday, we had so many errands to run, the thought crossed our mind that we should forego the regular busy Saturday morning routine and rush to be there for our family, yet somehow we paid more attention to the idea that there would be time to run the errands and then be there for our family.
So we attempted to do just that. Assuming that the day would unfold as we had planned, with the time we believed we had.
It is only by the grace of God that we fit in a prayer for our dying loved one and the family in the midst of our errands. The Lord knew those prayers were very much-needed because we were on His time and not ours.
That still small voice that nudged us to drop everything to be there physically, the one we so easily ignored, was the one we first recalled when events unfolded more quickly than we’d anticipated.
Why are we surprised when days don’t unfold the way we had planned? Why do we hang on to this notion that we have some control over how much time we have to get things done?
Isn’t that exactly what the devil needs from us? That we’d live our lives believing we have plenty of time…
Thank you Lord, for reminding me and my family that we are on your time! Help us to be more attentive to your still, small voice. Help us to live a life that is well-balanced between the sense of urgency required to respond effectively to your call and the sense of peace that comes with knowing that you are in control.
One thing I have learned through my journey with my father and his passing, is that you realize who is there for you, who truly loves you (blood or not). Though these are simply my own thoughts and wisdom or lack thereof, i feel that the term family - is just that. Its just a word - similar to love . . . something that starts off holding soo much... See More meaning - but branches off to be a intangible word. Sitting here reading this, makes me sad and angery at the same time. We call ourselves family, but it is merely that. I define family as individuals who call and see how people are doing months after a death, people who wonder and worry and drop by. Your right though - our activities do grasp us ever so tightly, but have we not put ourselves into these positions to have less time? I know Im bitter and will be for the rest of my life - I sit and wonder why life is unfair and why a good man, actually a GREAT man was taken so soon. Someone who knew the true definition of family and who longed to have one of his own, and after 27 years, was stripped of future memories. Many people whove lost a parent may think the way I do, and im sure they do. But family, to me - has been redefined in soo many ways...
ReplyDeleteSorry for my thoughts - just thought that I would post something since you wrote this note Im sure I'll hear backlash from it, but i had to be honest with myself.
I just read your blog and you are right Tima we need to drop the errands to attend to our fellow brother....while I can understand what Allie wrote (and I am sorry if I'm adding my two cents. This blog caught my eye.) I want to let you know Allie that my father also passed away, young man, at least I consider him to be young at the time. When he... See More passed away it caused an imbalance in our family as the head of the household was no longer there.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that he is in a better place and do you know what I realized that God does listen.... God listened to my dad's prayer, he prayed for "Juize ente a morte"... and so he was just that very conscious of everything right to the very end and he decided how everything would be, for his funeral.....
My prayer at first was "why" let him stay with us longer, but now I know that I was being selfish...despite his pain in the end I wanted him to stay.....
3 days before he died seeing him in pain and loving him sooo much, I changed my prayer, to, "take him Lord, if you are going to take him than do it now " because it was so pain staking for me to see him in so much pain, that I was now ready to let go.
5 years later it is still not easy because you know there's a void in the family and let's face it, it'll never be the same....however I do know something is certain, I've got an
Angel looking over me and you all do to!!
Sorry if I have been rambling!! I hope you all understand what I'm saying and don't want to sound preachy.
Thanks Tima for, words that stir the heart.
That's a beautiful reflection Tima... I was thinking similar thoughts.. I had a lunch planned with a relative... for his birthday... I had everything ready... the balloons, the gift, the card... you know the drill... He called unexpectedly to cancel, a friend of his, quite young, passed away unexpectedly... the lunch had to be cancelled. I ... See Morewas feeling a pull to write a piece called, Death Stops Everything... who knows maybe I will do it... your piece is just beautiful !!! I still have to get that BLOG going !!!
ReplyDeleteAs always I am humbled that anyone takes the time to read by blog. I can sense a deep pain in your words and while there is truth in what you've said. Something we have also lost sight of is the value of our souls, only God knows why he allows certain individuals to pass from this life sooner than others, we have to find consolation in our... See More faith and in Christ's words. Only Christ can give peace to our soul, we are all flawed human beings and if we look to find happiness and consolation from other human beings at times we will be dissappointed. But still, sometimes our fellow human beings, family and friends can also be another Christ and provide so much support and assistance even if its just with their prayers. I don't know how much it means to you but your family have been in our thoughts and prayers daily. I have to disagree though, Love is not just a word. God is Love and only in Him do we find the true example of how we can be examples of the person of love He has called us to be.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for sharing your thoughts