Scott, what a profound and heartfelt writing and I humbly grieve with you for the recent departures of beloved people in your life! We never know when that day will come for any of us. I am 71 and I long for Home...and yet I know I have some work left to do here on this broken Earth. I am the last surviving member of my immediate family. Mom died overnight in 1966 when I was 13, an older brother was killed in Vietnam in 1968. Father died in 1984 and final older brother in 2018. I had three beloved Sisters in Christ go Home in 2021. I came to Christ in childhood and the grief of my youth broke my faith in God and His Son for 35 years. I am truly blessed that Papa God did not give up on this sorrowful and rebellious Prodigal. Praise be for that! I take nothing for granted anymore and have paid a steep price for my rebellion (depression and poverty). However, I live now for Eternity! I do my best in my own Substack, to share some essential "blunt" lessons of what I learned about "what not to do" and I hope my Prodigal return stories, as searing as they can be, will nudge at least one person off the path of destruction. Our Savior took all of the darkness on Him on that terrible tree of Calvary and then walked into hell and took the keys of hell and death directly from that thief's bony hands. I am profoundly grateful. Thank you again for this profound writing. WEW
This is beautifully and poignantly written, Scott. I was unwilling to admit that I had reached middle-age until I turned 55, and then it was pretty much unavoidable. Yet I decry ageism, what author Mary Pipher called "a prejudice against one's own future self." I lost my lifetime best friend last year, and along with the death of my parents, that has been a reminder of my own mortality. At 71, I am much closer now to the day of my death than that of my birth, as you put it. Living intentionally and doing whatever I can for whomever I can for as long as I can remains a driving purpose in life. Thank you for pouring into so many of us through your thoughtful essays.
I am sorry for the losses you and your family have experienced over a short period of time. I am thankful that you have channeled this into this post that reminds us of the unpleasant topic of death, but for the glory we will experience on the other side. As my husband has said many times, "there's not much information about the other side of this life, but we long for it." As he and I have discussed this topic we rely on what Paul wrote in 1 Cor 15:19 "if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world" what a hard time it would be to get up day to day and face the world.
I particularly loved the quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the poem penned by George Herbert. And the passage quote from 2 Corinthians 4: 16-18 "the outward self is wasting away" and as I like to say, Praise God that the inner self is being renewed day by day!
Thank you for such a thoughtful and hope-filled reflection on death.
Your use of contrasting themes - the harsh reality of mortality against the promise of eternal life - is powerful. It resonates with the anxieties we all face and offers a comforting perspective.
The quotes you shared, particularly from Dietrich Bonhoeffer and George Herbert, beautifully capture the idea of death transformed by faith.
This is a message that will stay with me, and I appreciate you sharing it.
Yes …. Today hold your loved ones close. I am the grandmother of 12. On Thursday morning we were awakened with a call that our 19 yr old grandson had been in a terrible car accident and was being rushed to a hospital 60 miles away ( could not be flown by helicopter due to weather). So began a frantic drive to reach him and our son …. a time of deep fear and not knowing. And hours of waiting to hear the extent of injuries. His face was fractured in multiple places, broken rib and punctured lung and worst of all …. A fractured C2 vertebrae (known as a hangman’s fracture). Unable to breathe on his own he had been intubated and was deeply sedated. Hours and hours of wondering ….. Will he move? Is his brain ok? And will he survive? But …. we received a true miracle …… on this Sunday morning …. 4 days later …. he has defied all odds and has even been moved out of the ICU. He has been restored to us in all his completeness. Able to move and talk. He faces 8 weeks in a neck brace and multiple facial surgeries and enduring pain BUT …. God is good. We praise Him today ! Our grandson has shared with us that as he was alone in the field after his accident (terrified and screaming) and he “all at once felt someone with him and he just knew he was not alone”. I know that Jesus came to be with him. In His mercy and grace , He saved our precious boy. And us as well. As our younger grandson said …. “We will not have an empty seat at our table.” My sympathy to all who are coping with grief and sorrow today. But I know that I know that I know …… we are never alone . God is with us !
God is with you , and him, whether he lived or died. I am glad you were spared that sorrow. But for Christians the fortunate are those that are with Christ and away from this difficult challenging life
Scott, thank you for your timely words. I was unfamiliar with the poem by George Herbert. Powerful.
I identify with your recent losses. My best childhood friend passed away in January, and my sister-in-law of sixty years just two weeks ago. I have entered that phase of life where the people I have shared life with are populating heaven at an increasing rate.
I have shared this piece with my wife, who struggles as I do with the loss of loved ones. Thank you for taking the time to articulate what our hearts groan to express.
I wonder if there is a difference between hearing the news of a friend and witnessing the death of a loved one...for me there was...and continues to be a deeper and more inexplicable pathos after being present when both my wife and father breathed their last.
Thank you for this timely reminder on Mother's Day. We live, we love, we lose, repeat. YET eternally, we are welcomed HOME. ALL glory and praise be to Jesus!
Wow! Such unique art!
Scott, what a profound and heartfelt writing and I humbly grieve with you for the recent departures of beloved people in your life! We never know when that day will come for any of us. I am 71 and I long for Home...and yet I know I have some work left to do here on this broken Earth. I am the last surviving member of my immediate family. Mom died overnight in 1966 when I was 13, an older brother was killed in Vietnam in 1968. Father died in 1984 and final older brother in 2018. I had three beloved Sisters in Christ go Home in 2021. I came to Christ in childhood and the grief of my youth broke my faith in God and His Son for 35 years. I am truly blessed that Papa God did not give up on this sorrowful and rebellious Prodigal. Praise be for that! I take nothing for granted anymore and have paid a steep price for my rebellion (depression and poverty). However, I live now for Eternity! I do my best in my own Substack, to share some essential "blunt" lessons of what I learned about "what not to do" and I hope my Prodigal return stories, as searing as they can be, will nudge at least one person off the path of destruction. Our Savior took all of the darkness on Him on that terrible tree of Calvary and then walked into hell and took the keys of hell and death directly from that thief's bony hands. I am profoundly grateful. Thank you again for this profound writing. WEW
This is beautifully and poignantly written, Scott. I was unwilling to admit that I had reached middle-age until I turned 55, and then it was pretty much unavoidable. Yet I decry ageism, what author Mary Pipher called "a prejudice against one's own future self." I lost my lifetime best friend last year, and along with the death of my parents, that has been a reminder of my own mortality. At 71, I am much closer now to the day of my death than that of my birth, as you put it. Living intentionally and doing whatever I can for whomever I can for as long as I can remains a driving purpose in life. Thank you for pouring into so many of us through your thoughtful essays.
I am sorry for the losses you and your family have experienced over a short period of time. I am thankful that you have channeled this into this post that reminds us of the unpleasant topic of death, but for the glory we will experience on the other side. As my husband has said many times, "there's not much information about the other side of this life, but we long for it." As he and I have discussed this topic we rely on what Paul wrote in 1 Cor 15:19 "if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world" what a hard time it would be to get up day to day and face the world.
I particularly loved the quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the poem penned by George Herbert. And the passage quote from 2 Corinthians 4: 16-18 "the outward self is wasting away" and as I like to say, Praise God that the inner self is being renewed day by day!
Thank you for such a thoughtful and hope-filled reflection on death.
Your use of contrasting themes - the harsh reality of mortality against the promise of eternal life - is powerful. It resonates with the anxieties we all face and offers a comforting perspective.
The quotes you shared, particularly from Dietrich Bonhoeffer and George Herbert, beautifully capture the idea of death transformed by faith.
This is a message that will stay with me, and I appreciate you sharing it.
We are here for an instant. Death is a door we walk through. Our eternity is with Jesus. We have NOTHING to fear.
Thank you for every single one of your essays, Scott. I read every word and am encouraged and comforted each time. You are such a great blessing!
Yes …. Today hold your loved ones close. I am the grandmother of 12. On Thursday morning we were awakened with a call that our 19 yr old grandson had been in a terrible car accident and was being rushed to a hospital 60 miles away ( could not be flown by helicopter due to weather). So began a frantic drive to reach him and our son …. a time of deep fear and not knowing. And hours of waiting to hear the extent of injuries. His face was fractured in multiple places, broken rib and punctured lung and worst of all …. A fractured C2 vertebrae (known as a hangman’s fracture). Unable to breathe on his own he had been intubated and was deeply sedated. Hours and hours of wondering ….. Will he move? Is his brain ok? And will he survive? But …. we received a true miracle …… on this Sunday morning …. 4 days later …. he has defied all odds and has even been moved out of the ICU. He has been restored to us in all his completeness. Able to move and talk. He faces 8 weeks in a neck brace and multiple facial surgeries and enduring pain BUT …. God is good. We praise Him today ! Our grandson has shared with us that as he was alone in the field after his accident (terrified and screaming) and he “all at once felt someone with him and he just knew he was not alone”. I know that Jesus came to be with him. In His mercy and grace , He saved our precious boy. And us as well. As our younger grandson said …. “We will not have an empty seat at our table.” My sympathy to all who are coping with grief and sorrow today. But I know that I know that I know …… we are never alone . God is with us !
God is with you , and him, whether he lived or died. I am glad you were spared that sorrow. But for Christians the fortunate are those that are with Christ and away from this difficult challenging life
Scott, thank you for your timely words. I was unfamiliar with the poem by George Herbert. Powerful.
I identify with your recent losses. My best childhood friend passed away in January, and my sister-in-law of sixty years just two weeks ago. I have entered that phase of life where the people I have shared life with are populating heaven at an increasing rate.
I have shared this piece with my wife, who struggles as I do with the loss of loved ones. Thank you for taking the time to articulate what our hearts groan to express.
I wonder if there is a difference between hearing the news of a friend and witnessing the death of a loved one...for me there was...and continues to be a deeper and more inexplicable pathos after being present when both my wife and father breathed their last.
Thank you for this timely reminder on Mother's Day. We live, we love, we lose, repeat. YET eternally, we are welcomed HOME. ALL glory and praise be to Jesus!