Passing Of A Friend

Received an SMS on Sunday that one of my former colleague passed away last Saturday. It was kind of a shock to everyone as she was seemingly healthy. On Friday, while getting ready to go to work, she collapsed and was rushed to hospital. She died without gaining consciousness. She was 34 yrs old. The odd thing about it was that the death certificate records that the cause of death was a stroke and "cancer". No body knew she had cancer.

Again, this reminds us of the uncertainty of the world we live in. One moment we are full of life, enjoying every moment and making plans for the future. The next, our life could be snuffed out...be it health, or accident, etc. We all know that the inevitable will come, we just do not know when.

Do we seek the good life of wealth, health and pleasure in this life? When one comes to die, he comes to say "goodbye" to all these; he leaves them forever. Solomon is an example of one who sought all three: power, wealth, and pleasure, to which he added worldly wisdom beyond any man of his day. Yet, when he reached the evening of life he was constrained to say, "All is vanity and a striving after wind. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter, all hath been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecc. 12:13). So many are striving after the vanities of life, paying for these worthless bargains with the price of their own soul, the most precious possession in the world.

"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matt 16:26).

Jesus taught us that the man or woman who loses his or her soul loses all; one who makes such a bargain, though he gain the whole world, is at the last a fool.

While living this life, we are prudent to also heed what comes after it and to ensure that we prepare for the journey ahead. How do we do that? Well, as christians we know what we will inherit after this life is over. Live life as what God would have you live it...in Him and for Him. Only then can we experience the abundant life in Christ and nothing can take that away from us, not even death.

I take comfort that she is now with Jesus and we will meet again.