Two Deaths by Esther M. Bandy

Have you ever sat at the bedside of someone who was dying? I have. When my beloved husband was dying of cancer, I was there, heartbroken at the thought of living the rest of my life on earth without him. But I was also thankful that when he left this earthly life, he’d be in heaven with Jesus. He’s there now. He’s no longer suffering, and he’s happier than he’s ever been. I’m thankful that one day I’ll be there too.

When I was a hospice nurse, I cared for many death-imminent patients. I tried to keep them comfortable and help them and their families prepare as much as possible for death. Afterward, I pronounced my patient dead, notified the doctor, and comforted the family. Then I contacted the funeral home and prepared the body to be taken to the funeral home. Working as a hospice nurse was the most challenging, heartbreaking, and at times rewarding job in my nursing career.

Sometimes I cared for people for months before they died. It was comforting to know that some made professions of faith in the Lord Jesus, and they looked forward to eternity with Christ. But it was heartbreaking that others rejected Christ. Many were afraid to die, and some were still searching for something to believe in. If they were willing to listen, I shared the gospel with them. It was a blessing when some received Christ before they died.

One week, as I watched several patients pass from this world into eternity, I was struck by the differences between those who knew Jesus and clung to the hope of heaven and those who had rejected God’s gift of salvation. I thought about the contrast and wrote “Two Deaths.”

Two Deaths

One night, my patient died.

In my notes, I wrote, “Attended death. Family members and nurse at bedside. Respirations ceased. Unable to obtain pulse or blood pressure. Pronounced at 3 a.m.”

In my heart I know, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” (Psalm 116:15 KJV)

In my notes, I wrote, “Doctor and funeral home notified. Family members comforted.” With my lips I quote, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8 KJV)

In my notes, I wrote, “Family members coping well.”

My spirit sings, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:55 KJV) Thank you, Lord, for the joy of knowing that my patient is your child and is with you forever.

Another night, another patient died.

In my notes, I wrote, “Attended death. Family members and nurse at bedside. Respirations ceased. Unable to obtain pulse or blood pressure. Pronounced at 6 p.m.”

In my heart I know, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” (Hebrews 9:27 KJV)

In my notes, I wrote, “Doctor and funeral home notified. Attempted to comfort family.” I try to give comfort, but my mind repeats words that my lips dare not speak. “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15 KJV) My heart cries out, “Oh God. Was his name written there?”

In my notes, I wrote, “Family members grieving.” But my notes cannot explain the agony of hell. “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36 KJV)

The Bible makes it clear that those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior have their sins forgiven and will spend eternity with the Lord. Those who reject Christ will be separated from God forever.

Consider these words from the Lord Jesus Christ:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18 KJV)

If you died today, would you go to heaven or hell? If you’ve already trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, your sins are forgiven, and you have the wonderful promise of eternal life with the Lord. Will you thank God today and tell others what Christ has done for you? If you haven’t trusted in Christ, it’s not too late.

Do you believe that you’ve sinned and that the Lord Jesus died for your sins and rose again? Are you willing to confess your sin to God and receive Christ as your Savior? Consider these verses from God’s Word.

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10 KJV)

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12 KJV)

Esther Bandy

When Esther Bandy was five, she heard the gospel in a Good News Club and received the Lord Jesus Christ as her Savior. Since then, she’s worked as a nurse, a missionary, a local director with Child Evangelism Fellowship, and a Spanish teacher in a Christian school. Now she’s an author. Esther’s work was published in the anthology Treasures of a Woman’s Heart, and she’s a contributing author for the upcoming anthology Triumph from Tragedy.

http://esthermbandy.com/ https://www.facebook.com/EstherMBandy