This week my daughters lost a friend who was in her early 30's. Many hearts are broken. Even though I was not close to this young lady my heart breaks for her family. I think of all of her friends who are so upset and asking "why". The one thing we all seem to say is, "it was an untimely death." It catches us off guard and grieves us because she was at the prime of her life. We are unprepared. She was always smiling, loved her friends and loved life!
God gives us life and God takes it away through death. He knows our number of days when we are born. So while it is untimely to us it is not to God. God's timeline is different than ours. Timeliness of death has to do with one's relationship with God. We think of how many years a person has been on earth. I am sure that God has been preparing her for this time through years. Romans 8: 28, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." I believe through her sickness she had lots of time with God preparing for the day that she would stand face to face with her Lord and Savior.
I struggle with untimely deaths because I believe I have been healed. I do not know why I am here and this young lady is not. What I do know is that while God spared my life, at least for a time, He has chosen to take this young lady home to be with Him. I believe God has chosen to speak to us through her death, rather than through her life.
God can teach us so much from this one death. I am sure thousands this week have stopped and thought about how precious life is. And how fragile it is. This young lady has also reminded us that life is uncertain. James 4: 13-14 says, "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit.' - yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.'"
I am heartbroken for her family and friends but I am overjoyed for her to now stand in the presence of God. Revelation 21: 4 tell us, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever." For a Christian there is no greater hope than that of being in the presence of the Lord!
I pray that God will speak to many through this death. I pray this death will be what God uses to prepare some for their final day. "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day." John 6: 40 Let this death be a reminder that we must be prepared. We are not promised tomorrow on earth but we are promised eternity with our Savior if we accept His gift of salvation.
What a tribute to this young lady to do a mighty work for Jesus Christ in her death! Join me in praying for her family, her friends and all of the lives that will be changed through her life and now her death. Are you prepared?