The Truth About Dying

What might this be? What truth?

Suddenly I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear this or not either. I looked at the woman on the bed, and I saw my mother. I don't mean that she looked like her. The woman in front of me was much older than my mom, who had been only forty-two when she died. But the smell of the room and the helpless anger inside it were exactly the same. Many nights I had lain awake on the floor of my mother's bedroom. Hour after hour I would listen to her cough, but it was not her coughing that frightened me. No, I dreaded the silence I knew was coming. I dreaded the moment when the coughing would stop.

"Darrel," Jones began, "you think that your sweet wife is at the end, but that is only a lie you have believed. Because your fear has grown, you believe her fear has become greater...which is another lie. You believe she is experiencing something bad that gets worse until there is nothing at all That, too, is a lie."

"Here is the truth, Darrel. She is not at the end. She is at the beginning. Her fear has not become greater; it has become less and less until now, her fear is gone altogether. And she is not experiencing something bad that gets worse until there is nothing at all...she is experiencing something incredible that gets better, until there is everything."

Jones looked down at the woman and lightly touched her head. "Before this woman was ever born, when she was warm and snug inside her mama's belly, she kicked and twisted, moving this way and that. For months she struggled. She became uncomfortable. She longed for more freedom and began to sense that the worlds she inhabited was not where she ultimately belonged. She did not know what was on the other side of her struggle, but she was getting ready to experience something new and wonderful that in her wildest imaginings could not be described. Darrel...she was getting ready to breathe.

"And when she finally drew that first breath, it was clean and fresh and like nothing she had ever felt. She took another breath and another - and all around her, loved ones and friends cheered in a joyous celebration of her arrival."

Jones looked closely at the woman's face."Look at her now, Darrel," he said. "For many years this dear child was happy and content in this body. But for some time now, she has struggled. She has become uncomfortable. She has begun to long for freedom from the pain of this body and has sensed that the world she inhabits is not where she ultimately belongs. Even now she does not fully appreciate the reality that is waiting on the other side of her struggle, but she is preparing to experience something new and wonderful that in her wildest imaginings could not be described. Right now...right this minute...she is getting ready to breathe.

"And when she draws that first breath, it will be clean and clear and fresh, like nothing she has ever experienced. She will take another breath and another and another; and all around, her loved ones, her family and friends, will cheer in a joyous celebration of her arrival.

"Do not be afraid for yourself, Darrel. You can make the same journey one day - you can join her if you choose to do so. And don't be afraid for her. She is fine. Remember...she is getting ready to breathe."

After a time of quiet Jones slipped out of the room, and I followed, leaving Darrel alone with the woman. He was still on his knees with his upper body on the bed. He held her hand and was peacefully asleep.

It was a serenity he had not felt in a long time. Somehow Darrel's mind drifted easily through the years as he dreamed of the past he remembered and a future he had never allowed himself to imagine." (Excerpt from The Noticer Returns by Andy Andrews.)

When I read this yesterday I was so comforted by the notion of seeing death in a different perspective as Jones so eloquently tells this man watching the woman he has loved his entire life slowly slip away from him. I decided to share this with so many of you that are facing this same situation or have recently watched this happen to a family member or friend. Hope this provides you with a different perspective on transitioning from this life to our eternal one in the life of a believer. You too can have that future you have yet to imagine if you are a follower of Jesus Christ. If not, it's not too late to change. Comment below and let us pray for you or private message me if you'd like. I'd love to help you find your forever home in Heaven! It truly is a life changing decision.

For those of you that love this excerpt from The Noticer Returns, trust me when I tell you, you will absolutely LOVE this book. You can pick it up today at your favorite retailer.

You can also find Andy Andrews on Facebook to learn more about Jones!