Blessed - Noble

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)

She had a successful career, raised a family, and living her best life when a sudden accident and subsequent hospitalization left her curious about her life and most of all her future. Not a religious person but with the recent occurrences she began to think about her future which included life after death. She grew thirsty to know about God and spent an inordinate amount of time investigating who He was and came to a belief and understanding of His presence and His promise.  It was as she lay dying that she called herself “blessed”. How does someone gain that kind of understanding in light of impending death?

Blessings are not simply the things we receive that are deemed by outsiders as favor but blessed as defined biblically is that which brings happiness. It takes profound faith to recognize that in the process of dying one would deem themselves blessed, or put another way, “supremely favored, fortunate, a gift from God that brings happiness.” I am reminded of Revelation 14:13 “Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “With this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deed will follow them.”

Yes, my friend lived a good life but more importantly, she died a noble death. Her confidence in God should inspire others to live lives worthy to be called His children. Jesus didn’t just save us for heaven but to carry out His mission here on earth. May one day, we too, be called “blessed”.