I was asked to speak once on the three gifts of life that I felt took my breath away. So I’m going to break them into three Monday thoughts! I have felt strongly that we have to keep the main things of life in perspective for us to survive this journey with hope and often we will understand the words Christ has told has many times: “ Be of Good Cheer.”
Here is the second gift:
This second gift, which is often dreaded, sometimes longed for; sometimes prepared for is the act and gift of death. John tell us “and your sorrow will turn to joy.” (John 16:20) Mathew tells us that “Faithful servants enter into the joy of your Lord.” (Mathew 25:21)
This second gift is as powerful as birth and as necessary! It is what brings us along another step of that precious road called eternal life. We have to have it. We have to partake in it. Alma stated, “ My soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain.” (Alma 36 vs. 20-22) as he not only looked at himself, but at God in his Heavens: the Heavens where we will return!
I have often wondered why we just cannot say good bye to our friends and loved ones and just go up to the door back home and announced: “OK, I’m ready. I’m ready to come home and excited about it as well!” If only it was that easy. It is not. Actually birth and getting here wasn’t easy either. It was painful and full of danger. Sometimes things don’t go right in birth and sometimes they go beautifully. I think death is the same way.
It is a precious gift because it is part of the plan. We do know many things about this journey for we have been carefully taught that we will return to our loved ones; our Father in Heaven; our Christ who paid such a dear price for this journey that we have been on; and we will look back on our life with great fondness for the gift of birth that brought us to our earthly home and the gift of death that takes us back to our Heavenly home. Oh, Happy Day! It is a wonderful gift to be able to return to Heaven!
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