Mortality 

   “The span of our life is seventy years, or perhaps eighty, if we have enough strength.” (Psalm 90: 10) 

   When I was young my mortality rarely crossed my mind.  Like most, I considered death as something far into the future.  Then reality struck me; a high-school friend was killed in Vietnam.  Barely into his twenties, his life was over in a moment.  Still, in my mind, an early death was something that rarely happened and certainly would not happen to me.

   As I’ve grown older, my own mortality has become more of a reality.  Now in my early seventies, I recognize that I’ve seen far more years go past than are left before me.  I don’t fear death, although it’s not something I would choose at this moment.  It will come at a time of God’s choosing, and that is as it should be.

   The question for me is, am I ready?  Am I prepared to face my Lord and answer for all I’ve done in this life?  This is the thing that concerns me most, that I may not be as prepared as I think that I am.  Do I live according to God’s will?  Do I see this life as a preparation for the next?  Is my soul destined for heaven or hell?

   Our pastor often says that we live in the land of the dead; everyone on this earth will die at some point.  We pass from the land of the dead to the land of the living at our demise.  Will that life be the joyful happiness of God’s kingdom, filled with love for all or will it be the misery of hell where there is no joy, happiness, or love?  This is the question I must answer.

   My death doesn’t scare me, it doesn’t depress me or bring me anxiety.  It helps me to understand the reality of my passing and the importance of living so as to be prepared when it comes.  May God guide me on the right path and have mercy on my soul.