When our ship sets sail...

Recently, my father forwarded us an email that spoke about the subject of death, and how it will be a joyous occasion for Christians. It reminded me of a morning some time ago when Ana and I were having breakfast just before leaving for work. As is our habit, we read aloud from "Our Daily Bread" before we finish from the table. One particular morning the "Daily Bread" subject was "the death of a loved one". The scripture reference was from 2 Corinthians:

"We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord." —2 Corinthians 5:8

A commentary followed which included a beautiful description of dying by Henry van Dyke:

"I am standing at the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck of white cloud, just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other. . . . And just at the moment when someone at my side says: 'There, she is gone!' there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout: 'Here she comes!' And that is dying."

I could barely get through the reading of it without choking with tears. I thought about our mortality, and the fact that we will all part from this life, one by one. But our Lord who provides for us here has also provided for that last journey. It will be a moment when we close our eyes here, and wake up over there. It will be a day of unspeakable joy! Until that day, I want to make every day count for Him.