11 Altogether, Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died.
That is the fate of us all: death! No matter how much we push to the contrary, we will all end up dead. The only exception will happen if we are alive when Jesus returns. But if you are not alive when that happens, death awaits. I have been at the bedside of hundreds of people as they died. Some knew they were dying and some didn’t. Some had been struggling for years with an illness and some were plucked without any notice. Some had made the preparations and said all the goodbyes, and some had a lifetime of things that needed to be said, but were never said. The one thing I learned from all those encounters, other than that saying goodbye is hard, is that we can choose to live our lives is such a way that when death comes, we can have no regrets. We can say all the “I love you’s” that need to be said. We can say them each day, in the moment, and not wait until it is too late. We can let people know our needs and desires, and not be afraid of hurting them. We can find our voice and learn to speak up for those who don’t have a voice, like the unborn. We can bless those who are less fortunate than we are. These things are important! I stood by too many bedsides with family members who had things to say, but it was too late, their loved one had died, or couldn’t respond. Those who were alive needed words of forgiveness and grace, but there were none coming from the mouth of the bedbound patient. I noticed those who had cancer often had made the preparations for their death, including making amends and saying what they needed to say. When they lived abandoned to the moment, they found a new life, even in the midst of the chemo treatments and radiation poisoning. Their bodies had been invaded and yet they found a freedom. We will all die, some sooner, some later. Why not begin today preparing for the inevitable.
The Arnold Journey 