Death

Sometimes it takes a funeral to remind you that this life is temporary, that there's no point in seeking after the same things the world seeks after, that pride is pointless, and youth is fleeting.

Sometimes it takes a funeral to remind you how precious and beautiful and unique each person is, and how they affect many other lives. And how sad it would be if they died without knowing God.

I attended my grandmother's funeral today; it was beautiful.

A Christian funeral.

I am so glad my grandma accepted Christ in her old age; otherwise I might have cried my eyes out. I still have 2 unsaved grandparents, and all of my uncles and aunt. The easiest time for people to accept God is when they are dying. So, you keep telling them testimonies of God working in your life, and even though they do not accept now, when they are on their deathbed, they will realize that deep inside, what you said all those years is true. But what scares me is not everyone dies on a deathbed.

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My grandma's death timing is a testimony in itself. Our second day in Taiwan, my grandma's heart stopped beating. My mom had prayed that God would allow my grandma to live until we came back. When my uncle visited a catholic church in turkey, he lit 2 candles. He said when he lit the first candle, he said to God "my mom believes in your faith; let her go at a good time" (he himself is not a believer). And so the timing really was perfect; my grandma had been unconscious in the hospital for 4 years already. But she chose to go right when we came back, and 5 days later, today, there was a vacant funeral opening, and so we were even able to attend her funeral, including the incineration and burial.

Also, on the day that my grandma died, my mom had stomach pains; right when my grandma started spitting blood, my mom's stomach pain was so intense that she was making noises in the taxi; we even told the taxi driver to go to the hospital. Right then, we got a phone call about my grandma about to die. We didn't get to see her before she died; we arrived in the hospital an hour later and got to take a last look and pray for her.

So beautiful. The entire family (my family and my 2 maternal uncles' families) getting together, standing around the grave singing Amazing Grace, even though none of them are Christian. Both the Christian funerals of their parents (my grandparents) were testimonies for them, or at least an exposure to the Christian faith, something quite rare in Taiwan.