Wednesday, May 2, 2012

“A time to be born and a time to die”


One dear lady gasped in horror when I said,

In writing your stories, teach your readers how to live,
but do more than that: Teach them how to die.


I was teaching a memoir class at the New Tribes Missions’ training center and apparently she thought I meant we should teach our readers how to commit suicide. No, no, no! That’s not what I meant!


I was thinking more along the lines of: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2).


Maybe I should have said:


Write stories that show readers how to live well and,
when their time comes, how to die well.


Most of us feel uncomfortable discussing dying and death. Diana Trautwein writes of the “sinking queasiness, this revelation and recognition that death is an unavoidable part of life.…” 


In her blog post, Reflections on Mortality and Holy Week, Diana addresses the fact that “death happens everywhere. We are surrounded by it, entangled by it,” yet “we cover it up, tuck it away, move it aside.” 


Yes, the experience of dying and death remains elusive and mysterious and can be scary for all of us, especially for young people, so perhaps we should explore those topics in our memoirsfor the benefit of both ourselves and our readers.


This will stir up some thoughts:


“You, as all God’s children, live one final breath from your own funeral. Which, from God’s perspective, is nothing to grieve. He responds to these grave facts with this great news: ‘The day you die is better than the day you are born’ (Ecclesiastes 7:1). Now there is a twist. Heaven enjoys a maternity-ward reaction to funerals. Angels watch body burials the same way grandparents monitor delivery-room doors. ‘He’ll be coming through any minute!’ They can’t wait to see the new arrival. While we’re driving hearses and wearing black, they’re hanging pink and blue streamers and passing out cigars….” (“When Death Becomes Birth,” from Come Thirsty by Max Lucado)


If you’re not afraid to die, write a vignette explaining why.


What do you think heaven will be like?


“…Someday God will wipe away your tears. The same hands that stretched the heavens will touch your cheeks. The same hands that formed the mountains will caress your face. The same hands that curled in agony as the Roman spike cut through will someday cup your face and brush away your tears. Forever.” (Max Lucado, The Applause of Heaven; also see Revelation 21)


At the end of your time on earth, what will it be like to stand before God face to face, one on one?


The lyrics of I Can Only Imagine (MercyMe) ponder that question.


“I can only imagine what my eyes will see when Your face is before me.…
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel…?
Will I dance for You…?
Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine.…”


Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:12, “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.


For years I’ve asked myself, “What will it be like, face to face with God, the Almighty, the Creator, knowing Him fully even as He knows me?”


I envision the scene: I am surrounded by His blinding-brilliant glory, and I am speechless.


I imagine I’ll fall on my face, sobbing in worship and wonder and gratitude.


What about you? What do you envision?


What stories can you write to help your readers ponder life and death and God and heaven? What stories will show readers how to live well and, when their time on earth draws to an end, how to die well?



9 comments:

  1. Yes! This is so where I'm at this month. Thanks for the tips.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. Hi, Jamie Jo, yes, you have found yourself in that spot this month. Bless you heart. I send hugs.

      Linda

      Delete
  2. Moving post, and something we need to hear. You're right that we tend to "cover up" death, but when we consider that Christ has taken away the sting of death by the power of his Resurrection and the hope of Eternal LIfe, it doesn't have to be fearsome. I've hit the age where more of my friends are senior citizens, and with that comes more present thoughts on mortality. I've sung at more funerals than weddings (hopefully not because people only want to hear me when they're dead), and at each, I learn more and more about what it means to "die well". Thanks for these thoughts, Linda.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Lia, I had to laugh when I read your comment, "I've hit the age where more of my friends are senior citizens" because I'm squarely IN the senior citizen category. Oh, my.... Oh, well.... :)

      I agree, we don't need to fear death. I have a hunch that writing about what we anticipate will help not only the writers, but the readers as well.

      Thanks for leaving your comments, Lia.

      Linda

      Delete
  3. Linda! This is terrific. And thanks for the shout-out. I had forgotten about that post so I went back and read it. And I liked it - imagine that. Doesn't happen all that often. That was a kind of tough week and it forced me to look again at this issue of death and our fear of it. My son is a hospice doctor and he is constantly surprised at how most people are in such deep denial about the fact that we are ALL going to die - even many Christians seem unaware somehow. This is a great way to encourage us all to think about how we choose to end well. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Diana, I'm not surprised you like what you wrote! You're a gifted writer. Thanks for letting me quote you.

      You have deep thoughts on many core issues and I am always blessed to read your posts. You and your writing are blessings! :)

      Linda

      Delete
  4. very beautiful thoughts, and I could not agree more. It is a new beginning.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Julie, for stopping by and for leaving your comment. Thanks, too, for sharing your Mother's Day vignette with us. :)

      Linda

      Delete