Tag Archives: Death

Dan Wheldon’s Death: Untimely and Shocking

 

IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon died recently after suffering severe injuries in a 15-car wreck at the Las Vegas Indy 300. He was just 33 years old and left behind a wife and two sons. His death was both untimely and shocking. Accidental Death is like that. There is no time to prepare, no time to adjust; it comes on us like a freight train. It leaves us with an overwhelming sense of loss and confusion.


If you are coping with the unexpected loss of your loved one, you know that grief is a merciless companion.  The loss you feel today will not always frame your existence, but you may spend many months or even years mourning your loss. Grief and loss will not be ignored.


Bereavement is necessary after the death of a loved one.  I believe grief stems from the fact that mankind was not created to die. We were created to live without the fear of death. We were created for eternal life.


We suffer death now only because long ago, man rebelled against God and his authority over us.  God understands the loss you feel and His compassion toward you can be very healing. He offers you a relationship with Him that can help you overcome death and it’s hold over you once and for all.


When you pray and ask God for help, He promises to hear you and answer.  Bereavement is not an easy thing to deal with. You will still need help coping with death, but you will not fear death because Jesus Christ will be with you. He will comfort you in the midst of your pain.


Your victory over the grief you feel can begin with a simple prayer: “Dear Jesus, You know I am wounded and hurting right now. I feel grief like I’ve never known. I am tired of trying to cope with this loss myself.  I need You to become Lord and Savior of my life. I need forgiveness for the wrong things I have done. I need to live for you so that I can overcome my fear of death. Thank you for the promise of eternal life.” Let us know that you have prayed the prayer and we will walk with you through your grief journey.

-Bill Hennessy

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Mourning Can Be Healthy

Coping with death is never easy. There are no rule books. There are no secret techniques that can make your sense of loss disappear. But, if you are coping with grief and loss there is hope!

When faced with the death of a loved one, grief is unavoidable.  You can deal with it now or you can deal with it later, but being human means coping with loss.  If you wait to work through your bereavement, you will have a harder time because the flood of emotions do not go away, the just go deeper.

Mourning can be a healthy thing no matter how hard it seems at the time.  You feel grief because the person you lost impacted your life.  The loss of your loved one forces you to come face to face with your own fear of death, your own mortality and the impact others have on our lives.

 
How can you overcome death?  Go to the one who overcame death once and for all! Jesus Christ, God’s Son came to earth to bring a cure for mankind’s ills and a solution for death. 

He was sinless, yet bore the cost of our sins on His shoulders when he was crucified in our place.  He died on that cross, yet did not remain dead.  Instead, He rose three days later and brought with Him victory over the grave.  If you know Jesus as your Savior, you no longer need to fear death.

How can you know Jesus as Savior?  Go to Him and tell Him about your need. Tell Him about the loss you feel right now. Ask Him to forgive you for whatever wrongs you have done and to give you peace.  He will hear you and respond by befriending you now and giving you the joy of eternal life. Hope and peace are your best tools to overcome death.

-Bill Hennessy

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Facing Up to Death

 

It has been said that two things in life are sure–taxes and death. I am not sure about taxes, but I do know that death impacts every human being. Death is something each of us must face whether it be the grief that follows death of a loved one, a friend or eventually dealing our own death.  

Many people have a fear of death.  It looms over them like a dark cloud.  It can become such a strong fear that it weaves its shadows into every aspect of life.  Coping with death is possible, but we must have help.

When someone enters into a relationship with God they no longer need to have a fear of death.  Because of Jesus' death on the cross, each of us can know where we will spend eternity. Christ suffered death so that we can have victory over death!

God promises peace to those who experience grief and loss.  Grief and bereavement are powerful forces, but they do not need to destroy us.  When we allow God to help us cope with death and loss, we can come through the process and find hope and peace with God. Because Jesus conquered death, we can end death’s hold on our lives once and for all.

If you have lost someone you love, God offers comfort when you go to Him in prayer. If you are facing death yourself, God promises to walk with you through the journey as you place your trust in Him. It is true that coping with loss is never easy but God promises to walk with us through each difficult step of the journey.  

-Marie Hennessy
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THE STING OF DEATH IS GONE!

Do you remember the story of how the people of Israel were set free of the fear of death?  In Christian tradition, the Jewish Passover feast celebrates the truth that God gave his first-born son to save us.  Just like the angel passed over those households, God says you can free from the fear of death.  Moses is tending sheep out on the backside of the desert and God comes to him, saying, “You are going to set my people free from bondage, grief and death.”

But when he goes to Pharaoh, Pharaoh says, “No way! They are too important to my economy; they are too important to my power in the world. I won’t set them free.” So God says, “I'm going to bring judgments against Pharaoh, and he will set my people free.”  No more grief, bereavement or loss.

God sends ten plagues across Egypt, such as the Nile River turning to blood, a swarm of frogs, the death of livestock, festering boils, darkness, even during the day, and, finally, the death of the first born. Things we all might fear like coping with death of a loved one.

But God told the people of Israel: “I don't want the death of the first born to occur in your households. If you'll put your faith in me, if you'll trust in me in this way, my death angel will pass over your house when it comes into Egypt. Take a lamb and kill it, then put the blood of the lamb on the door of your house and I will pass over your house.”  No bereavement or coping with loss in your house because of the blood of the lamb.

The Passover meal celebrates the truth that God saved the first-born sons of Israel.  We celebrate the truth that God gave his first-born son to save us from the fear of death.  Just like the angel passed over those households, God says you can crossover from death to life.

The Bible says, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24 NIV)

Jesus says you may die physically, but you'll never be separated from me, and you will live with me in eternity. A lot of people live in fear of death and God Himself. They feel like God's out to get them somehow and, if you feel that way, here is a verse to remember: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.” (1 John 4:18 NIV)

- Don Scheske

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Take Time To Grieve

     No one likes to talk about death.  We enjoy conversations about so many aspects of live and well, the topic of death tends to end the discussion.  Yet, it is a fact of our lives that we must address.  Recently, my Grandmother died.  Even as I wrote that sentence it just does not seem proper to state it that way.   She loved the Lord with the entirety of her being, served Him faithfully, joyfully, and without compromise, and raised her children and grandchildren to do the same.  She lived a full life of love and blessing so many people for ninety-six years.  So, it is more appropriate to write it this way, “She went home to be with Jesus.”  Dealing with the death of a loved one is very difficult under any circumstance but, we were equipped to deal with our bereavement because we know that Grandma is in heaven.  

     I will not even pretend to be a counselor but there is one aspect of coping with loss that I do know is important.  We must give ourselves time to deal with our grief when someone dies.  You can ignore someone’s death, downplay your feelings about their death, and convince yourself that you are feeling fine and that you are coping with death.  But, you might just be lying to yourself!  You really must make the time to grieve the death of others, especially the death of a loved one.  

     If you neglect the bereavement process, you run the risk of you pain being expressed in other forms and, most likely, onto people who neither deserve your reaction nor know why you are acting as you do.  For example, if you neglect to deal with your true feelings of grief then you make become angry suddenly at your children for no apparent reason.  Possibly, your ability to focus at work becomes difficult or your joy for life becomes dull.  These are all indicators of an internal issue; a matter of your heart that you must address.  We must admit that we have pain over the death of others, especially the death of a loved one, and allow ourselves time to grieve.

     The next step is that we must address the pain properly and fill the void of our loss with that which is good.  The only One who can help us with this process is Jesus Christ.  He will be your friend who will stand with you in these moments.  Centuries ago, a man named David put it this way: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).  Jesus will be with you in your season of grief.  You do not have to address death alone!  He will bring comfort.

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The Secret to Mending a Broken Heart

 I really enjoy connecting with friends on Facebook. I am not talking about those who ask to be your “Friend” and you don’t have a clue in the world as to who they are. I mean friends from the early years, friends through the years, and friends today. I am glad to read of the victories and joys of my friends such as graduations, marriages, children, promotions, and the like. At the same time, I am saddened deeply to read of the broken dreams and the broken heart of my friends due ton illness, death, divorce, and even the consequences of bad decisions.

I can definitely relate with my friends’ joys and brokenness! Like you, I have had my seasons of victory and times when my heart was broken. Strangely, we feel that the good times are our inalienable right and we never, under any circumstance, deserve the bad times. The fact is that life is filled with good and bad! That’s the reality our daily walk.

The truth test of our character during life’s journey is found not in the good seasons of life but rather during the seasons of trials and, especially during the seasons of brokenness. To whom, or to what, do you turn to find peace and joy in the midst of these character-testing seasons? My testimony is that the secret to mending a broken heart is to turn to Jesus Christ and allow Him to bring healing.

Jesus understands the ebb and flow of life. He is there for you when you are on the mountain top rejoicing and, even more importantly, He is there for you in your defeats. He remains with you during your isolation and long after your disappointment, your failure, and the betrayal of the one that you trusted. It is my experience that He alone can take your brokenness and make your whole again.

I share this with you because you are my friend and Jesus is my friend. My prayer is that you two will connect and be friends as well.

-Bill Hennessy

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