The beauty of death.......

Dear Reader,

The majority of society walks around with a sense of privilege when it comes to life and death. Who can pay for more time? Who can control the energy that keeps the body alive and pumping? We think just because we are alive now means we will be in the next second. The biggest lie that we believe is that "We have time." We don't.

Death, that cold and glossy look that passes over anything that has given its last breath. Whether that be a dog or a relative. Everything dies: trees, grass, and meaningful flowers. All things have the same end goal, to return to the dust from where it came. Is this a bad thing? Is this a scary and foreboding event? No, it's only scary if you give the grim reaper power to be.

I may sound dark and brooding, but I am actually wanting to do the opposite: pull back the dark curtain of death and see that it is only a shadow.

"Even though I walk through the valley of THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I will FEAR NO EVIL, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Psalm 23:4

Each of us is born to live and then die, but we make death a hooded dark figure with a scary reaper tool. That's not death. For the one that is saved to live is Messiah {Christ} and to die is gain. We all want a long and healthy life. I believe that should be all our goals: to make the most of this beautiful opportunity! When we are no longer fighting the inevitable and flow with the beauty and energy of life, we are more joyful, more present, and more productive.

That day is coming for us all, don't know when or how. But that is the bittersweet thing, we get to live to the fullest until it is our time. NOTHING CAN TAKE YOU OUT UNTIL IT IS YOUR TIME. Fight for living as abundantly in the moment as you can be, not stressing about what the next moment will bring. Do we look forward to burying our dog or our mom and dad? No, of course not. Living life expecting that we have tomorrow sets us up for living less in today. On the other side, fearing death and letting it rob you of the life you have now is living dead already. Choose LIFE!

"Death is not the oppiste of life, put part of it." Haruki Murakami

Isn't winter a part of the year? Should we waste our bright springs, warm summers, and colorful falls dreading the coming winter? So why do we go through life at 75%, some 50%, and others at 10%? We have a haughty privilege thinking that we can just expect Monday to come to start that diet. We wait until we feel like praying for that person. We don't want to take that risk because what if it fails? What if you don't wake up in the morning? You don't tell that person you like them because they might reject you. We give tomorrow enough power to steal today. This is why New Year's resolutions never work. Why do we procrastinate? Because we think we have the time to.

The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge. I believe that knowledge is knowing you have a limited time to serve Him. How will you? Being a religious pufferfish who gets blown up when someone doesn't do it like you think it should be? Or a loosey-goosey who thinks that faith is a free card to hippy heaven? Faith is a gift that holds a responsibility of death. To die a good death, after you ran the race as hard as you could. Not looking at the other racers, or the storms that come, but right ahead, to the beautiful face of our Savior Yeshua, the Living Son of our great Creator Yahweh.

Death's face holds no fear over those who see Yeshua's. When we see death in someone we care about or something, we have an eye-opening experience. One that is quickly forgotten. The pain, hurt, and even trauma that we go through is actually a longing to leave all of this behind. For death holds no pain, hurt, or trauma. Only the living feel these things; it is against our nature to have these events. We were created for immortality, which is why for those who are saved, death is one step closer to our created state of being. So we don't fear, we celebrate. Death equals gaining Messiah!

"WHERE, O DEATH, IS YOUR VICTORY? WHERE O DEATH, IS YOUR STING!" 1 Corinthians 15:55

I will close with this: don't hold back, don't wait until Monday, don't fear, put your trust in the unfailing Rock. Trust in The One who holds the keys to Death! And get out there and live! You are not here by accident, and your days are counted for a blessing. You didn't earn yesterday, today, or tomorrow. It is given as a gift, so don't spend it in fear. Spend it living in the abundance of Yeshua, The Risen One, who put death in its place, under our feet!!!

With love

Elysa