Where o Death?
So It’s been like three or four weeks since I written my last page, but honestly who’s reading this anyway…? I really don’t mind I guess, maybe I don’t want the whole world to know all the things going through my head… then again, maybe it’s not so bad. A lot has happened in the last month or so… I have a girlfriend. She’s awesome and I’m sure she will be the topic of much blogging in the future, but for now, there’s something more pressing…
David said, “Where o Death is your victory? Where o Death is your sting? It fills my heart with joy to know that death has no power over my life, but it still kinda sucks. Last week a friend/teammate/peer I’m not really sure…. Anyway, she died in a car wreck. I didn’t really know her. She played on the volleyball team that I keep stats for, so we traveled together and sat on the bench together but I really didn’t know her. My only real interaction with her was helping her find a place to leave the stray dog she’d picked up about three days before the accident.
It may sound harsh, but since I didn’t know her, her death isn’t a massive thing in my life. She loved God and had relationship with Him and for that reason I can be nothing but happy for her, for, as a friend put it, “she’s having a better day today than we’ve ever had on this earth.”
The thing that her death has done for me, is to really think about my life… and death. “Where is this song going?” it’s the title of this blog and it’s sorta a title for life. Where are we going? Our lives… what does God have planned for me? I don’t have the promise of tomorrow… but I am living today the way I want to live the last day of my life? During Chapel this past tuesday our entire student body was given the opportunity to write encouraging notes to the family, and the best i had to say to them, was that her death was going to cause me to live a better life, because it had reminded me that as James tells us, we are "a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." How long do i have? Should it even matter? What have i done today to change the world?
As for funerals... i don't like funerals. Nobody does. But i especially don't like Christians Funerals... We always have these sob-story funeral for people that are now in a way better place than we are. They are in heaven, with God... celebrating, partying it up! Why do we always have the depressing funerals when they where home was always supposed to be. Now don't get me wrong, i know it's tough to lose someone you love.... it really is. I completely understand that, but part of love is wanting the best for someone and celebrating with them when they get. When our christian loved ones go home, that's it. They're getting the best that there is.... Let's celebrate with them! When a non-christian dies... Then we can mourn, and have sad funerals and cry and weep... and ask God to spare us, because we didn't care about them enough to help the get to where the party is. That is when death is sad. We can mourn then...
With that being said, i've gone ahead and planned my funeral that way, it doesn't end up a sob-fest. First things first. I'm going to heaven. I love Jesus Christ and have a personal relationship with him. I'm going to the party and it's gonna be a blast and i want my loved one celebrating that with me, not crying about it. so here it goes...
Throw a Party!.... not a funeral.
Since i have at least a little sensitivity in me (sshh... don't tell anyone) I've built in a brief mourning time at the begining... There is a song by Geoff Moore and The Distance called "when all is said and Done." It's on the Evolution album. I've always wanted to play that song at my funeral, but since i probably won't be there for it, would somebody please play it ant the begining when you show all the embarrasing pictures or something like that....
When that's over... nothing else that feels like a funeral. i want a worship service. not i quite, "respectful" service... no i want that concert feeling. Loud band, Lights the whole ordeal. This is a party. Sing fun, loud celebratory types songs. Tell God How Great he is and doing as loud as you possibly can. i want to see people with their hands raised worshiping God, not sitting in total silence crying. Then, have somebody get up and Preach the gospel message... tell 'em why we are celebrating, why it's a good thing, tell 'em i've gone home. Be bold.
as for some mechanical things... burn me up spread my ashes on a little league diamond. I really don't need to be in big hole in the ground (unless of course you can litteraly bury me in my daytona, car and all.... that be amazing!!!)and i really don't want people walking by and looking at my pale painted face in box... i'm not that pretty now, i can't imagine what i'd look like then... Don't put people through that. Baseball is fun... and the place i had most fun playing it was in little league... that's where i want to be left.
NO FLOWERS!!! seriously, i will come back and haunt all of you if there are a million flowers at my party... don't test me on this. Make bouquets of baseballs, bats and gloves if you want, put an old dodge on stage... i don't really care. Just no flowers.
All this may sound a little like i'm wanting to die soon.... Paul said to the Philippians that "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Obviously i want to go home... this world really sucks, but i also don't believe that i've accomplished in this life yet, what it is that God has me here for, so don't think i'm asking to die. I'm just saying that it doesn't scare me. I have not reason to fear it, death has no power over me, because i know that because of Jesus Christ dying on a cross for me, I'll never really die. So as David said it...
Where O Death is your victory? Where O Death is your sting?
Where is this song going....?
