8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.
With the death of some famous people this past week, we have all been reminded that we are going to die! This is one thing we have in common with all other humans. Rich or poor, Chinese or Canadian, our last breath is in our future. So when we do die, what will be said about us? Two of the famous people who died this week were younger than I am. I don’t know the causes of death, but for some who die young their lifestyle choices took their toll. Each of us makes choices about our future, and our current actions have an impact on that future. Drinking too many sodas has an impact on our waistline and thus has an impact on our future health. Smoking or lack of physical exercise has an impact. For men, not being married has an impact. Abraham reached a good old age. He lived a full life. He had many years under his belt. It seems that up until the end he was healthy. That is the way we all want to live and die. We want our lives to count for something positive. We don’t want to be known as “the murder of ….” We want people to remember us as someone who made a positive difference in the lives of others. Notice the last phrase of this verse. Someday we will be gathered to our people. For some, heaven is the place we will spend eternity, a place filled with love and acceptance. For others, their place will lack the loving, caring presence of God. There will be nothing good there, no pleasure, only pain, empty and unfulfilled. I want to live long and have a fruitful life. I don’t want to live long and have an unfruitful life. I want my life to count for good and not for evil. I want my life to make a positive contribution to this world. I don’t feel this is happening every day. Some days I can’t count as good days. But when I look back on the months and years, they have been good. I have poured Jesus’ love into the lives of others. I have lived a good example, not perfect, but good. How about you?
The Arnold Journey 