Falling Asleep and Waking Up at Home

After attending two memorial services this week, I've come to view "death" a little differently.  Before now, I haven't really thought of death as a bad thing but just the word itself takes a little air out of my spirit.  But last Sunday, during Larry Stephens celebration of life service, I heard a story that comforted me and have been thinking of it since.  

Larry tells the story of his childhood and being at his "Big Mama's" (his grandmother) house.  He said he remembers laying on the porch swing gently swinging with his head laying in Big Momma's lap while the adults talked.  After a while, he drifted off to sleep and the next thing he knew, he was waking up in his own bed at home.  His Daddy had picked him up, carried him to the vehicle, drive home and put him in his bed without him ever knowing it.  And that's the same thing that happened when Larry departed this earth to go home to his Heavenly Father.  According to 1 Corinthians 15:55, death has lost its sting.  In John 11:11, Jesus speaks of Lazarus "falling asleep" but the disciples say no, he's dead.  Verse 13 reads "Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep". 

So this week, I began to look at death differently.  We simply go to sleep here on earth, maybe at our earthly house, and our Heavenly Father scoops us up and carries us home where we belong.  Instead of death being the end to life, it is really the beginning of the life we've longed for if we are a follower of Christ. 

And this is possible now because of the sacrifice His son made...He took the sting of death away so we can be swooped up and carried home. 

Until next time....