The Miracle of…
As I reflect over my long life, I feel especially blessed to have witnessed at least two miracles… the miracle of life and the miracle of death!
At age 16, I got a job at our small rural hospital as a nurse’s aide with on-the-job training. They taught me how to take care of an infant after birth; however, I had not yet seen a baby be born. Finally, a birth was happening on my shift. I stood with excitement in the delivery room as an eight-pound baby boy made his entrance into life. I could only cry as the tears flowed freely. I could barely realize what I had seen – the bursting forth of human life!
Fast forward about 60 years. I was sitting at the beside of my brother Steve, who was dying of cancer. All of a sudden Steve said, “Sis, do you hear that?” I said, “What do you hear Steve?” He said, “I hear the most beautiful singing I have ever heard!” “No”, I said, “I think the singing is just for you.” He lay back and with a smile on his face and said, “Oh my.” Steve passed away that evening. I shall always believe that my brother was hearing the angels sing as he was beginning his transition into Heaven. Wow! Thank God that I was able to witness this glimpse of Eternity.
Summary: When I say that death is a miracle, many will wrinkle up their noses and remember losing a loved one and the terrible pain they experienced. However, if you think of death as the portal to new life it becomes a miracle. As my little third-grade student explained to her classmate whose grandma passed away, “You only die in this life. Your grandma won’t die in Heaven, she will live forever!”