Death: A Season of Life

I was reading the last few blogs on Adventures in Africa by Beth and Holly. I am stirred by their courage in the face of death. Not in a situation where they were facing the end of their own lives; but, rather in a situation in which a little girl they have grown to love has died.

As I read their words God reminded me of this verse in Deuteronomy 31:6, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

I couldn't help but think of the courage that Beth and Holly have exercised generally in their mission to Africa. But now they have learned courage on a new level: The courage to ask God to end the life of their beloved friend so that she, Siphiwe, might pass from this life to eternal life to end all suffering.

I thought to myself how death is not generally a season of life that most 20 somethings have yet experienced. You see we are in the "Life" season. Life as it pertains to new relationships, new marriages, new babies. We are pairing off, getting married, and having babies (the majority of us, but not all). We'd be rich if we had a dollar for every wedding we have been to over this decade! But to stop and think about the season of death is startling. This is a season we, a season that I, know little about.

We assume that we will face this season when we are old...when we have lived out most of our lives. And yes, I am sure as we age there will be a "Season of death," where we no longer attend wedding after wedding every weekend; yet, our attendance will be requested at the funerals of loved ones. But what if that day is today, or tomorrow? And when our loved ones are drawing near to their last breaths of their lifetimes will we stand courageous?

God promises that He will be with us...always. This includes our seasons of mourning. I suspect that we would draw from his strength and adopt the courage he shares with us in Deuteronomy. And I would imagine that this courage is what prompts a peace within us, a peace that allows us to summon death as a deliverer for our loved ones.