In his
book Life After Heart Surgery, David Burke recalls his close brush with
death. Lying in his hospital bed after a second open-heart surgery, he found
himself in incredible pain, unable to draw a full breath. Feeling that he was
slipping toward eternity, he prayed one last time, trusting God and thanking
Him for forgiveness of his sin.
David was
thinking about seeing his dad, who had died several years earlier, when his
nurse asked how he was feeling. He replied, “I’m okay now,” explaining
he was ready to go to heaven and meet God. “Not on my shift, buddy!” she said.
Soon the doctors were opening his chest again and removing two liters of fluid.
That done, David began to recover.
It’s not
unusual for any of us to ponder what it will be like when we face our final
moments on earth. But those who “die in the Lord” have the certainty that they
are “blessed” ( Rev 14:13) and that their death is “precious in the sight of
the Lord” ( Ps. 116:15).
God
fashioned our days even before we existed (Ps. 139:16), and we exist now
only because “the breath of the Almighty gives [us] life” (Job 33:4). Though we
don’t know how many breaths we have left—we can rest in the knowledge that He
does.
From our
first breath to our last, we are in God’s care. (RBC)
