1001 Nights

Can we laugh at death?

(Random thoughts with no grammer check)

I hate death.  It’s people biggest fear. People say Fear of public speaking is number one, but I say, If I put a gun to your head and ask you to speak to a large crowd, you’ll do it better than Obama, and without a monitor.

I miss the ones that died. I wish they were still here with us. My dad was 66 when he died. Not really old. We sympathize based on the age of the deceased. If they’re young it’s very painful but if they’re older it’s easier. If a 90 year old dies, people go:  You should’ve known. If they’re young, you say He or she were so young.

Some die slowly and prepare for it. They get sick for a while then go. It makes it easier on the loved ones. Others leave suddenly. No preparation or announcements. That’s a shocker.

What’s neat is the dead person doesn’t feel sad anymore.

All faiths covered the idea of death; some believe that you will leave this earth to a much better place. Now that is good to believe unless you live in Maui. Others believe you will come back, but as a different living form. If good, you’ll be back as a human again, if not, a mouse, a monkey or a cow.

Some believe Heaven will be a big party. A never ending party, which requires having Alcohol and Disco music in Heaven. As a result, we will trash heaven. I’ve never been to a party that the house looked the same after few hours. There will be rejections, gossip, and Police breaking up the party.

Some believe that when we get to heaven we’ll all be dressed in White and it’s all going to be white just like a Tide Commercial. Others believe that you’re gone once and for all. You’re not coming back. Credits will run then the End.

We do Eulogies for the deceased. It’s when his or her friends talk about how wonderful the deceased were when he was alive, but it would be great for the deceased to have a Thank you farewell speech. It will sound like a Grammy award speech: “I’d like to thank my parents, my spouse, my kids, my 4^th grade teacher….”

What a blessing it is not to know when we’re leaving. Otherwise it will be hard to not to RSVP to someone’s Farewell party. Also it will be difficult to stay mad at someone who you know has two more weeks to go.

Some people believe you will get to purgatory with Peter as the Home Owners Association board chair. He will be standing at the Gate. Do you think Good saints have a remote gate opener?

Some believe that they will not make it anywhere good. Some believe in Hell. Hell is a place of torment, pain, and suffering. Just like the DMV.

Others believe that there is no Hell. That everyone good or bad is going to be at the party in Heaven.

When people don’t like you, they say Go to Hell. But if someone likes you they will never say: Go to Heaven, since the idea of leaving this earth is not favorable.

Some believe that we will all be back together in a better place. If you have to choose your own heaven what would it be? It will have everything you shared in your wedding vows.  A place of no sickness but health.  A richer not poorer, better not worse until death do us part.

I hold to the Biblical view of all of the above.

The Day It Happened

I still remember Tuesday, September 11, I still remember the day my flight almost caught on fire, on the other hand I remember the day I first saw Maha my Wife.  I remember a lot of other life changing events that happened to me.

I’m sure you do too.  You remember them vividly.  It’s the day you met your spouse, the day you had the accident, the day a loved one died. The day your child was born. The day you broke up with someone you love.

But do you remember that morning right before that special event happened.  What was it like?  You got up in the morning, and you didn’t expect it to be different. 

Some of you reading this are facing challenges and problems and I want you to know that things can change in less than 24 hours. Isn’t that encouraging?

I got up this morning, started my devotions, and quiet time, with no plans for anything to be different.  I hope it won’t but if it does am I ready to face it.  We’ll I think I’m more ready to face the day when I start right with God, that I could be if I didn’t.