Songs In The Night

²⁰ “The harvest is past, the summer is ended,
    and we are not saved.” – Jeremiah 8:20

Dirt

Today I was buried.  It is a day I was destined for since I took my first breath but never really thought of as something imminent.  Who wants to go through life thinking about death?

But here I lay.

It is an eerie thing to hear dirt being thrown on your own casket.  But I can hear it.  From the confines of my casket, it is muffled, but I can hear it none the less.  One tender handful at a time the dirt makes its six-foot drop, symbolic of the origin and destiny of every man.

As the dirt bounces off the casket I know my family and friends will disperse and the machinery will come in to finish filling in my grave.  Perhaps I will feel the earth shake as the backhoe finishes this somber task.  Seems like such an impersonal way to lay a person to rest.  But filling in a grave one handful at a time isn’t efficient.

My how I will miss holding those precious hands of my loved ones that are now committing my body back to the earth.  Perhaps they will drop a few flowers to adorn my casket before they leave.  I always had a preference for carnations but a few roses would suffice.

Light

Once my vault is enclosed and my grave is filled it will be time for me to “move on”.  Such was the agreement I made with the light that spoke to me before I took my last earthly breath.

It was such a comforting and understanding light that reassured me as my earthly life was closing.  God knows I needed it.

Knowing my fears, the light promised me I could retain my earthly awareness until my body was laid to rest and my grave completed.  After that, I was promised bliss.

Once I greedily accepted the few extra days I had to laugh at myself.  After all, while I had good health and so much to live for how many days had I foolishly “wasted”?  Oh well, I can’t relive the past, but what I have heard the past three days makes me wish for a do-over.

Voices

As my family was gathered around me for my “passing”, I was moved by the many kind words.  Not only were the words pleasant to my ears, but I was surprised by the humility and openness with which they were expressed.

Tears flowed with no shame.  Hugs were plentiful.  My family made sure that there was always someone on “duty” to hold my hands.  Love was shown with no reservation.

What it is about human pride, I had to wonder, that too often prevents us from expressing our love for others.  Seems ironic to me that too often we don’t truly show how much we love someone until they are unable to hear us or reciprocate our love.

I went through life not knowing the depth to which I was truly loved.  Why didn’t they say these kind words and shower me with such affections while I was alive and coherent?

Probably for the same reason I didn’t do so with them.

Pride is a powerful enemy.  If we were really granted a do-over would we be any better in our battle against it?  At least the light gave me the assurance that I would see my loved ones again in the afterlife.  Certainly, there we will do better at expressing our love!

Refuge

Well, the grave is filling up.  I can definitely “feel” the backhoe doing its job.  Soon I will be rewarded for my good works.  Rightly so.  I made a lot of sacrifices to live a good life.

Once I enter into eternal bliss I won’t regret all the good times and pleasures I had to forego to please God.  But some of my friends might be in for a surprise.  Some people sure do live with no restraint!!

There is no doubt that when God looks at my life He will be impressed with how much my good outweighed my bad.  Unquestionably, I have been a lot better of a person than many I know.  Some people say that is irrelevant, but the light assured me it was important to God.  And nobody ever spoke to me with the confidence that the light did.

Now I can say I am thankful I was raised a moral, or perhaps I could go so far as to say a religious person.  I make no claims of being perfect, but certainly, I am confident I am good enough to be accepted by a loving God.

Summer

Finally, I see the light approaching me again.  Good thing, I’m starting to get a little cold.  It is not quite as warm down here as it was under the lights in the funeral home.

As the light gets brighter I see my past.  All at once and in no specific order I have flashbacks of people I’ve known, places I’ve been, experiences shared and memories made.

Grandparents, Easter, beaches, pets, parents, Thanksgiving, lakes, graduations, siblings, Christmas, toys, children, waterfalls, weddings, grandchildren, New Years, campfires, friends, reunions, trees…

The rapidity of the scenes is overwhelming.  I feel like I’m buried with a strobe light.

Instantly it stops.

A cold wind is blowing.  All the leaves have fallen.  Another summer is ended.

It will be my last.

Unsaved

The dirt has been turned over.  Seeds have been sown.  The rains have germinated the seeds.  Now the harvest is past.

As I travel with the light, I begin to feel intense heat.  I wanted a little warmth but this is becoming more than I can bear.

As the heat increases the light begins to take on a different appearance and his reassuring voice becomes unnerving.  Never before have I seen anything so grotesque or heard a voice so grating.

Why the fire?  I didn’t expect to feel such pain!  Where are all of my loved ones?  How can there be such an intense fire and yet complete darkness?  Why are my memories accusing me and my mind tormenting me?  How long must I endure this?  This isn’t what the light promised me!

Is it possible I have been deceived and will have to suffer eternally for it?  I would have rather remained in the grave than be cast into hell.

If only I could go back and warn my loved ones.  Pointing them to a saving faith in Christ, the True Light, is the most loving thing a person can do.

Knowing what I know now, how can I make sure they are saved before the harvest is past and the summer is ended?

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

¹³ I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. – 1 John 5:13