“I don’t want to die; help me!” The witty, friendly elderly lady with round eyes and puffy cheeks I once knew was gone. In her place was the fragile shell of a once lively woman quickly approaching the inevitable end of her life. It was my first year as a nurse, and I was working in a skilled nursing facility.
When I first met this lady whom we’ll call Effie, she was a patient of mine in the rehabilitation wing. During her stay, I grew very fond of her. Later, when she was moved to the long-term care wing of the facility, she would often wheel herself to the rehab wing during my shift just to say hello. Once she grew too weak for that, I would come and visit her.
One day, the thing I was dreading the most happened. The nurse in charge of her long-term care advised me to say goodbye to Effie before I left for the day because she would most likely not be there when I returned the following day.
So, when I finished my shift, I went to visit her. I smiled at her and put my hand on her shoulder. That’s when, with tired and glassy eyes, she looked up to me and said those seven words that shattered my heart in a million pieces: “I don’t want to die; help me!”. Medically speaking, there was nothing left to do but keep her comfortable. When I came back the following day, she had already passed. I still remember her dearly.
Why is death so difficult to accept?
Death is a “natural” aspect of life, or so we are taught… but is it really natural?
According to Romans 5:12 and Romans 6:23, death is a direct consequence of sin coming into our world. Before sin, we were meant to live forever. Given our nature, it is only understandable not to be on board with the whole idea of dying.
The truth about death
Do you want to understand more about what the Bible says concerning death? Here are five Bible verses that have helped me understand this topic a lot better:
What is death? – Ecclesiastes 12:7
What did Jesus compare death to? – John 11:11-13
Are the dead aware? – Ecclesiastes 9:5-6
What does the Bible say about communicating with the dead? – Deuteronomy 18:10-11
What is the fate of those who die in Jesus? – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-16
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