Dust

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…

Psalm 23:4

The funeral I attended this weekend reminded me of my own grandmother’s passing.  In her ceremony, we were reminded of the above passage and encouraged to understand the truest meaning.  You see, the passage does not state if I walk through the valley… it specifically says though.  The shadow of Death is always.  There is no maybe.  Death will come.

You’d think 3,000 miles with a dead guy would have given me all the reflection on Death one can handle, but alas, there was one more lesson to learn.

All we become is a pile of bones.

Those bones then become dust.

But that is where our traveler ended his lesson. Those are only the things of our earthly body that turns to dust.  What of our soul?  What happens to that?  Clearly, it cannot decay; it must transitions from one place to the next.  So, I encourage you to actively make the choice what happens to your soul.  Give away it away piece by piece throughout your life.  It is what you do with your soul during this life, not what you do with your body, that matters. (←Tweet this)

amāre in mortem

During a funeral, we talk about how good a person was.  We tell stories about the great experiences we shared with them.  We revel in the lessons they taught us.  We say how much we’ll miss them… and that we loved them so much.

Our tears drip as our souls weep for our loss.  But, what have we lost?  Where is that person now?  Connected to the divine. Surrounding us always.

amāre in vita

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Corinthians 13:4-8

This passage was read at the funeral and I recognized it immediately.  It is the same passage I read at a wedding two years back.  Odd, isn’t it?  The same sentiment held for the merging of one life from two was held for the transition into death.  Because both are love.  Both are transition.  The creation of a new life and the passing of life are held in the same regard.

During a funeral, you never hear about the downsides of one’s character, the time they lost their patience, the time they yelled.  This may seem obvious.  “Respect the dead” and all.  But here’s this week’s challenge:

Don’t speak ill of the living.

What if you spoke the same way about those around you now as you do about those who have passed?  I think everyone who has gone before us would agree, it is the way to divinity.  Give little pieces of your soul throughout your life.  So, when you’re dust, there is truly nothing left to give. (←Tweet this)

ibis tute a Deo, Louise.