“You were created in God’s glory and for sharing His love." ~ Isaiah 43:7
The day will come when I will lie
utterly still, eyes open but unfocussed, staring into oblivion. My body will rest upon a soft white sheet
neatly tucked under four corners of a thin mattress located in a hospital hosted
by those living and dying. At some point,
a doctor will conclude that my brain has stopped functioning. Essentially my life on earth has ended.
My soul will be recalled to our Heavenly Father; what’s left
is simply parts and tissue. The Bible
doesn’t give many details about what happens next. But it’s safe to say that we’ll enter a
reality far beyond our comprehension.
So, don’t worry about me.
Death is only the end of one chapter I hope.
When that time comes, don’t implant artificial life into my
body by the use of machines. Let my body
be used to help others lead fuller, deeper, richer lives.
Give my heart to a person whose own ticker lacked compassion and kindness. Help them aim for a fresh start – at seeing the innocence in children; at listening with all his senses, at using his God-given talents for worthy purposes.
Give my sight to the woman who has never seen a sunrise, a
puppy’s yearning, or the brilliance of fireworks on the 4th of
July. Let her see every moment with
eagerness; filled with wonder.
Give my blood to the teenager who was pulled from his car’s wreckage,
so that he might live to show others the suffering associated with impaired driving.
Donate my kidneys to someone who depends
on dialysis for survival. Take my bones,
all muscle, and every nerve in my body. Find a way to make a child with
special needs walk.
Give my skin to the mother suffering the excruciating pain
of burns from a house fire. Help my
tissue provide a temporary wound dressing until her own skin can heal. Give her a broad smile that exudes
confidence, enthusiasm, and authenticity.
Explore every corner of my brain. Cultivate any useful cells so that: someday a
boy without speech will cheer at the crack of a bat; a girl with a hearing loss
will hear the gentle sound of rain on her window; they can be genetically
modified to recognize and kill cancer cells.
Burn what is left of me and scatter the ashes to the winds
to help the flowers grow. If you must
bury something, let it be my faults, my weaknesses and all prejudice against other
human beings.
If, by chance, you wish to remember me, do it with a kind
deed or word to someone who needs you.
If you do all I have asked, my spirit will watch over you and I will live
in your heart forever.
