Stay in God's Grip!
  • Home
  • Todd's Blog
  • Remember Me When
  • Contact

 While in God's Grip!

"I'm trying to make friends with death."

2/13/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
"But our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." 
​~ Philippians 3: 20-21
Yesterday afternoon I spent time with a woman who is in the final days of her life.  As we sat and talked, she told me, "I'm trying to make friends with death."

It was the first time that I ever encountered someone attempting to engage in death in a way that it brought about a friendship.  For this woman, this was her way of finding comfort as she draws nearer to her last breath.  

I remember the loneliness I discovered when my daughter went off to college and I struggled to "figure out," what my life was going to be like.  I had not lived alone in over twenty years, and when I suddenly discovered that I was the only one living at home, a sense of loneliness seemed to overwhelm me.  A friend suggested that I "make friends with my loneliness," much like this woman yesterday making friends with death.

What I discovered is that drawing closer to my loneliness actually helped me to discover more about the feelings that I was having.  I became aware that I could either run from these feelings, or try to understand them better.

So often we try to avoid the things that cause us pain, feelings of loneliness, or things that have wounded us.  It is only natural not to want these things in our lives.  However, when we run away from these things, they do not necessarily diminish from our lives.  We may find a way to temporarily block them, but unless we address these things, they may suddenly reappear in ways that may lead to unhealthy, life choices, feeling lost, or even into depression.

Our challenge is not to escape these situations, but to discover the source by exploring why it is that we feel a certain way, or react to things in a particular manner.  It's not easy to do because identifying the things that have or can cause us pain can be rather frightening, challenging, or just simply painful.  

The woman yesterday, sharing that she is "making friends with death," reminded me that when we get to know more about why we feel, or act, a certain way, while identifying the cause, it somehow loses some of the power over you.  What we fail to realize is that it often doesn't mean that we need to sit and dwell on the issue.  Instead, we must search these things our with our heart.  

As this woman "makes friends with death," I realize that what she is doing is creating a place in her heart where she can live without fear as she completes her journey.  Having the courage to face our fears, pains, or wounds, means that we emerge on the other side as changed.  Our ability to make friends with these things creates a place for healing and wholeness while we strive to move forward.

As we take these things to heart, we are reminded to love God with that same heart, our soul, and to love our neighbors as we strive to love ourselves.

Stay in God's grip!

G. Todd Williams (c) 2019
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Rev. G. Todd Williams lives in the Houston metro area and is a Hospice Chaplain at Essential Hospice, Webster, Texas, and is an ordained Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) pastor.

    He serves as the Stated Supply to Westminster Presbyterian Church, Galveston, Texas.

    His new book, "Remember Me When..." is available through Chalice Press.

    Archives

    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • Todd's Blog
  • Remember Me When
  • Contact