Devotion

As a child I lived in fear of the dark and evil things that inhabited the nether regions of my bedroom, and sharing my room with an elder brother who fed those fears didn't help either. At night my "teddy bear" became my protector, a  valiant warrior of legendary proportions, capable of keeping all manner of night creatures at bay. I am glad that the current obsession with dinosaurs was still in its infancy when I was. I am sure that I would have been a Raptor's snack before my 4th birthday. 

Most children experience those very real fears when Mummy and Daddy leave their room at night, and the light is turned off, leaving a darkened room, a child's imagination, a sugar rich diet, night sounds and shapes to wreck havoc. Well, we're all grown up now and the monsters had been vanquished...or have they?

Most of us still have one monster lurking in the dark recesses of our imagination. Death. Even amongst Christians this subject is taboo, oh we can talk endlessly about Heaven, speculate on the nature of eternity, but when we face our own mortality, when the enemy comes stalking close to home, we often forget that grave has been conquered.

"Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where oh death is your victory? Where Oh death is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law, but thanks be to God, He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." I Corinthians, 15:54.

D.L. Moody, the great preacher said, "When you see in the newspaper that Dwight Moody of Northfield, Massachusetts is dead, don't you believe it, for I'll be more alive than I have ever been before." 

We have developed a language of "avoidance" when we talk about death. We say someone has "passed away" or "shuffled off" maybe "gone to be with Jesus" or any number of other euphemisms. Despite all of our sophistication, our broadmindedness in matters sexual, our rational understanding of the universe and scientific achievements, we cower before this one remaining "monster under the bed." 

What is it about death that fills us with such dread? Death takes in this whole dreadful realm of sin, weakness, fear, sorrow, pain, heartache, rebellion, strife, war, sickness, torment, sadness and trouble in which men and women walk without the peace and joy and transforming power of God in their lives. Physical death is a portrait of something far greater. God gave us physical death as a type to convey something of the awfulness of the true death of which all men have been made partakers. As final and dreadful as death appears, it pales into insignificance compared to spiritual death. 

For the Christian, our Lord Jesus had taken the sting of death, and we need to live confident of His Victory.

There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and was given 3 months to live. As she began getting her things "in order," she called her pastor and asked for him to come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.

She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she wanted read, and what dress she wanted to be buried in. She also requested to be buried with her favorite Bible in her left hand.

Everything was in order and as the pastor was preparing to leave, the woman suddenly remembered one final request that was very important to her.

"Please Pastor, just one more thing," she said excitedly.

"Sure, What is it?" was the pastor's reply.

"This is very important to me," the woman continued... "I want to be buried holding a desert spoon in my right hand."

The pastor gazed at the woman, with a loss for words.

"That surprises you, doesn't it?" the woman asked.

The pastor replied "Well to be quite honest, I'm puzzled by the request."

The woman explained. "You see, Pastor, in all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I remember that when the dishes were being cleared after the main course, someone would inevitably lean over to me and say, 'Keep your spoon'. It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming, like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance to end the great meal."

The pastor listened intently and a smile came upon his face. The woman continued, "So, I just want people to see me there in the casket with a spoon in my hand and I want them to wonder....'What's with the spoon?'... Then I want you to tell them: "Keep your spoon...the best is yet to come". 

The pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the woman good-bye. He knew that this would be one of the last times that he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the woman had a better grasp of Heaven then he did. She KNEW and trusted that the best was yet to come.

At the funeral, everyone that walked by the woman's casket saw her wearing a beautiful dress with her favorite Bible held in her left hand and a spoon held in her right hand. 

Over and over the pastor heard people ask the question, "Why is she holding a spoon?" and his smile began to get larger and brighter each time.

During his message, the pastor told the people about the conversation that he had with the woman shortly before she died. He explained the spoon and what it symbolized to her. The Pastor told everyone how he could not stop thinking about the spoon and how he hoped that they would not be able to stop thinking about it either. That spoon and the meaning of it to the woman had quite an impact on everyone and they are still sharing the story with people they meet.

About the Author

Be sure to visit the Web site of Eagles Wings Ministries.