Not Ready to Die

We received the news last night. A woman in my former church had suddenly passed into the presence of the Lord. Her friends and family knew by her profession of faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that she was saved and had entered the gates of glory. She was prepared and ready to die.

Many are not.

Years ago, when I held the position of housekeeper at our local hospital, I encountered such a person. With my mop in hand, I entered the room of an elderly woman and began to clean the floor. When I neared her bed, I noticed them—tears slipping down her temples and disappearing into the pillow.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” I said.

She opened her eyes. Her brown-spotted, clammy hand reached for me across the bed rail. Her chin trembled. “I’m not ready to die.”

I had to tell her about Jesus, but I’d been warned not to share my faith with the patients. I held her hand and silently prayed no one would enter the room. I fully intended to give the bread of life to this spiritually starving woman.   

I said, “Honey, don’t you know God loves you?”

Her face brightened then paled. “I used to know Him. But I’m afraid I walked away from Him a long time ago.”

I glanced over my shoulder before telling her that He hadn’t walked away from her. “He’s right here with you. He’s waiting for you to come back.”

Her eyes sparked. Hope rekindled in her soul.

For several minutes I spoke to her of God’s love and assured her that through faith in Jesus Christ she could be forgiven of her sin and reconciled to God.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9, NKJV). For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved” (Romans 10:13, NKJV).

Humbly, this dear woman approached her Father, haltingly asking forgiveness. She committed her life—her soul—into His loving hands. Peace swept slowly over her face. Worry lines faded. She closed her eyes and rested.

The next day I again entered the hospital room with my mop. The bed was empty and had been made up with fresh white linens. I asked an approaching nurse, “Where’s the patient that was here yesterday?”

“She passed away in the night.”

I had no idea how close this frightened woman had been to her departure, but she had sensed her time was near. Perhaps she died that night because she no longer feared death. She confidently released her grip on life.

We do not know what another person is going through, but God does. His compassionate heart wants us to reach those suffering with doubts and fears. We who have been entrusted with divine truth as revealed in the Bible are to be spiritual medics, ready to administer the Word of God to every broken heart along our path.

How tragic if we fail to stop, to speak up, to care.

And how tragic if we allow those in authority to intimidate us. They may threaten us with the loss of a job or attempt to shame us or humiliate us—or worse. But we must be obedient to the Holy Spirit’s promptings. He is our authority.  

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).