The other day, I drove out to Rose Hill Cemetery. This is where my body will be laid to rest if I die before Jesus comes back to take His bride home. Several years ago, my earthly father and his brother got together and decided that their families needed burial plots. As they got older, they started thinking about such things and thought it would be good to have a place where all of us could be together at Rose Hill in our home town of Humboldt, TN.
Around that same time, the cemetery was opening up a new section of their property. They cleaned it up and sold plots. My dad and Uncle R.L. decided to grab up some of these plots all in a long row… or two. We joked that we were starting a Nicholas subdivision at Rose Hill. Over time, we buried Uncle R.L. and then dad died, then my brother Donny, and mom. As an aside… I often wondered why Dawn and I had to come home from our missionary service in Eastern Europe… why things didn’t quite work out as we had planned. I am certain there are many reasons for that, but perhaps one of those reasons was to be home when Donny died, then mom. I felt like it was very important to be here for both of them as they faded away from this life and moved on to the next.
The photo in the header of this post shows the Nicholas subdivision in the distance before you get to the back tree line. At 62, I can relate more and more to the things that occupied my dad’s mind as he worried over his family and wanted to help prepare for the inevitable. I continue to review my life and consider what I might do to help my family be ready for the uncertain future that may lay ahead of us. Honestly, the most important thing that I can do is to help them see the spiritual things that are often hidden from those who stay focused on the world of flesh that we are currently trapped in. At times, I am not too successful in that quest. But I try.
Ok, this posting may be a departure from what I typically write about, but all of this has been heavy on my mind lately. For those of my generation, I imagine that you are experiencing some of the same questions and concerns. How can we best serve our families and our world as a whole as we see the days growing darker and opportunities slipping away. Our mortality is something that we cannot hide from or ignore. It is right there in front of us, getting closer all the time. Yet, for those of us who have believed in Jesus Christ for our soul salvation, it is not a thing to be feared. It is but a doorway into a better, eternal place.
I would invite you to make that decision if you have not done so already. Trust in Jesus and allow Him to come into your life and save you. If you are not familiar with what it means to “get saved” or “trust in Jesus,” look at this page. It will help you walk through the process of believing in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. You will not regret it, I promise.
I’ll finish by asking you to read the scripture here: 1 Corinthians 15:51-55. It paints a picture of what the transition between mortality and immortality will be like. It is a glorious mystery that we must embrace with faith. It is real. Don’t you want to be there with me when that great Day comes? I pray so!
