Proper Preparation for Burial

I’m not afraid to talk about dying, because I’ve recently heard that the death rate here on earth is now at 100%. We all die. That sounds insensitive, but it’s not meant to be at all. I do have some anxious thoughts about death for sure, but I know it’s coming. When I joined the big “50” club a few years back, I began to think of my life and also what the end of my life might look like. I’m so grateful to have had my parents living nearby for the past several years. They have aged gracefully and are still having relatively good health.  We recently experienced the death of an aunt on my Dad’s side and an uncle on my Mom’s side. These are firm, but gentle reminders that we all will face this one day.

This morning I read where Abraham was preparing to bury his wife of many years. He was also preparing for his burial, whenever that happened as well. Check this out….

¹When Sarah was 127 years old, ² she died at Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron) in the land of Canaan. There Abraham mourned and wept for her.

³ Then, leaving her body, he said to the Hittite elders, ⁴ “Here I am, a stranger and a foreigner among you. Please sell me a piece of land so I can give my wife a proper burial.”

⁵ The Hittites replied to Abraham, ⁶ “Listen, my lord, you are an honored prince among us. Choose the finest of our tombs and bury her there. No one here will refuse to help you in this way.”(Genesis 23:1-5 NLT)

As I read this whole chapter, I could sense where Abraham’s heart was at. He was in a land where he had no relatives, but he had obviously earned their profound respect by the way this transaction went down.  I believe that he was preparing for his wife’s burial as well as his own. I believe he was doing something that would make it easier on Isaac and his family upon Abraham’s death. I came away with a couple of ideas about preparing for my on death…

1. Respect others during simple, daily encounters. Live in such a way to receive respect from others.
2. Prepare for burial – buy a plot and pre-pay for the arrangements. Put special requests for the memorial service in writing.

“I want to live like I’ll die tomorrow but die knowing I’ll live forever.”  (I heard that from a Rich Mullins Song called “Live Right” back in the 1980’s and it’s stuck in my heart.)

Pressing On!

Dwayne