Death's Door

By Mack Grubbs

Today I attended the funeral of a good friend. Death came knocking for him on Christmas Eve. He was more ready to pass through that door than most of us. The service was simple and honestly depicted his life of kindness toward others. The tenderness with which his family remembered him invited the spirit into the room and touched my heart. Have you ever attended a funeral and as the speakers delivered their eulogies, wondered who they were speaking of? Well, not this man. He was the personification of every accolade attached to his life story. The knock at death’s door that came to him has helped me reexamine my own mortality.

What a blessing to listen to the knock at death’s door: not to be almost scared to death or have a close call with a near death experience. The blessing is that of being able to look in the face of a deceased family member or close friend and be reminded just how fragile and temporary mortality is. To realize that the knock came, the knock was heard, and it was for someone else; giving us a little more time to do the things that we consider important. For some that means making adjustments and corrections in our journey of life. For others, it could mean saying, “I’m sorry,” for wrongs committed or harsh words spoken. These are the positive experiences of hearing the knock at the door.

For others, that knock instills fear. The fear of not having done all the living they want to do; that next thrill, that next vacation, etc. Interestingly enough, death of another instills either peace or fear. Just like boiling water softens carrots and hardens eggs, death of a dear one can have different affects upon us, depending on how we view it. More truthfully, it is not how we view death but more significantly how we view ourselves.

Upon viewing death I can have a feeling of abundance or a feeling of scarcity. I can come away with a greater desire to give, to serve, to listen, to care and love. I can also step back from the knocking at death’s door with the opposite feeling. I can be softened or hardened; the choice is mine.

In the military the saying goes around that you never hear the shot that takes your life. Some apparently don’t hear the knock of death that comes to them. Whether I hear the knock for me or not; I have been moved for good as I hear of the knocks from death’s door that have come to friends and family. Those knocks can give us opportunity to stop, or at least slow down a little and reflect upon what is truly important. These experiences can either harden me or soften me. Those are my choices.

One of my goals is to come to a point in my life where all things will serve to soften me. Through that softening, I know that I will be more caring, more loving, more forgiving and more useful to my Heavenly Father’s plan. May you feel His smile upon you, not only in times of pain and sorrow, but in all the days of your lives. Whether or not we feel that smile is up to us. Whether the difficult times, the boiling water, softens or hardens us is our choice. Choose well.