Coming from a large family, I oftentimes wonder about this.
And let’s be clear: it doesn’t keep me up at nights; it doesn’t consume my
every thought; but every now and then, maybe once or twice a year, I wonder
which one of us is going first. You know…..there….to that place….the
Great Beyond.
First, I’m the youngest, so I should
definitely go last – at least second to last, but I’m still vying for last.
Second, I’ve always heard “the good die
young”, and over my lifetime I have tried so hard not to be good, that it would
be a damn shame if this strategy backfired.
Lastly, most if not all of my siblings are
born-again Christians. How come I don’t know for sure? Well, I have
six siblings, and it’s not easy following their spiritual journeys, which have
had different lengths and breaths. Look it’s complicated. Go ask
them, okay.
I just know that they try to lead
Christian lives, while I try really, really hard – don’t always succeed, but I
try really, really hard to live by my God-given conscience. Say what you
may, but that life is hard, and life is full of enough stresses as it is, for
me to add trying to be Christ-like to it.
First, I live in the Poconos. That
place is cold. Granted we’ve been having an unusually warm winter, but
there is no guarantee it’ll be like that every year. Can you imagine me
wearing sandals all year round? Can you say frostbite?
Next, the minimalist that I am, can you
see me giving away the little clothes that I have and just living off a few
meager items? And that orange dress I wore to my friends’ weddings
in 2005, I’m hoping to fit back into that, so you can count that out.
Speaking of which, am I the only one who
wonders if Jesus had lots of robes? Whenever I see pictures (or alleged
pictures) of him, he is wearing either a wrap/sheet or a couple different
robes.
I did mention how cold the Poconos is,
right, but I think I’m digressing here.
But seriously, I wonder if he puts his
robe out on any given day and say, “This is the robe I’m wearing today.”
After all, he has to find one that matches his sandals, but since brown goes
with pretty much anything, I think whatever he chose would have been safe.
Yeah, you caught that. I wore that
dress to two separate weddings in three months, but who was going to
know? It wasn’t even in the same country. Smart, right!
But my point is that my siblings are
Christians. They are ones who want to go to Heaven. They are the
ones who don’t have to worry because they will be going to a better
place. I have nothing personal against Heaven, but I really like living
on Earth and hope and pray that I have several more decades here. It has its
problems, for sure, but for most part, it’s a really cool place to live.
And don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to
lose any of my siblings. I hope we all live to ripe, old ages.
Well, I hope that is what they want also. Personally, I’d like to live to
103 years. But not just that. I’d like to look like I’m 83 and feel
like I’m 63, or else what is the point? Then a few months after my
birthday, I pass away peacefully in my sleep……right next to my husband who will
only be 105.
You noticed I say passing and not death,
right. Passing sounds a whole lot more peaceful, don’t you think?
Anyway before you accuse me of blasphemy
and want my heretic head on a platter, just remember that I was created in His
image, so He must have these thoughts.
And I’m perspectively speaking.
Am I selfish for hoping that it won’t be me? Because there
are a few good reasons why I should go last.
Because God forbid I have to live without him. And by then,
our children will be in their 70’s and able to cope with my passing.
I agree... Your strategy would have been all for nothing if you died, I mean passed first.
ReplyDeleteDont worry i think earth is a pretty cool place to live too after all he (God) did create it even to be inhabited. Didn't the Good Book say that the earth abideth forever??? whats gonna happen if everyone just runs off and goes to heaven.... what use would the earth have then? I for one have high hopes of staying on this earth and (quoting from the good book)finding my exquisite delight in the abundance of peace :-D
ReplyDeleteWe can do good no matter where we are....The earth was created for a reason wasn't it? (wink wink):-) - Dee Ribena B.