***Insight*** Never the End

For those who read these, you have most likely heard my words already. But know this: I dedicate this blog not only to Scott Nye, but to all of our fallen. No...come to think of it, I cannot rightly call them "fallen". Fallen denotes them as having been stripped of something, degraded. Well, that simply is not true, in fact it is the opposite. They are Ascendants not Fallen. They have gone onto a higher stage in life. They have ascended to glory.

Why is it that you weep for those have passed on? Why is it that we fear death?

Truly, what is there to fear? The fact is, birth and death are one in the same. Neither is a beginning or an end; we do not start with birth or end with death. They are merely a transition between realms.

Yet still, we fear death.

Is it because we fear the unknown? Is it because we associate death with pain? Is it because death takes our friends and family away from us?

The biggest fear about our deaths, I believe, is the unknown. And frankly, there is not an easy way for me to explain it. I just know, with every fiber and essence of my being that death is not the end of man. For me to deny such a fact, would be trying to pretend that the sun is not in the sky at high-noon. If I were to oppose it, I would be blinded: blinded by the truth. Have faith in my testimony, becuase I can find no words to do justice to it.

Also, no one on earth wants to die in a way other than as an old, old person and to go peacefully in their sleep. Unfortunately, this is not reality. Sometimes death can be horrific in its savagery, violence and carnage. Yet, people go through pain everyday. People have amputations, undergo Chemo-therapy, Child Birth, are horribly maimed in accidents, burned in fire or by bombs, struck by animals, beaten within and inch of their lives, or even struck by lightning. If anything, death after such pain would be a blissful relief, but most of the time such pain leaves us terribly crippled...but alive. So I say, fear pain, do not fear death.

Death is swift, it takes us by surprise. It takes away our loved ones away like the wind carries off the leaves of fall. However, people almost never realize that this is but one of many, many worlds. Death merely gives our loved ones a "head start". Ahead of us, but never away forever. As we lose our companions on this side of the veil, anxious family members await them on the other side to greet those who have been taken from us with open arms and hearts. The same is true for birth, though few ever realize it. As one side looses, the other side gains. Can you imagine the looks on the faces of our family members from beyond the veil as we stepped through and entered into this world? To them, it would be as death is for us. Yet, when we recieve a newborn baby, it is a day of immense joy. Death is the reunion of our family members who were taken away by birth.

Death delivers us from this world of suffering. The deceased's tests are over. As you look upon the grave of a brother who has moved on, please, try to have joy in your heart! Know that it is not only part of God's plan and will, but it also marks the end of a life full of tears, fears, and pain. Where as, when you look upon a baby, know that this is but the very beginning of life of torment and hardship. Know that that baby's fate is yet unwritten and it must face all the trials of life that we have already.

In conclusion, death is only a part of life. It is a peacegiver and comforter. Those who have been momentarily taken from us will be reunited with us, forever, in the blink of an eye. After all, what is our time, here, in this world, faced with the vastness of eternity? Death is only a good-bye, not a farewell.

*Death is only tragic when the deceased has failed to meet their obligations or show their love both to God and to their bretheren.*