Ninty Nine Percent...

I was shocked...no, more amazed...perhaps appauled, at what I heard the other day. Ninty-nine percent of people polled when given the option of staying here or going to heaven, right now....said, they would chose to stay here! WHAT? Now, I am a nurse. I have dedicated my life to the betterment of others lives. And in that.... my duty, my obligation is to at all cost save your life, unless you have a document that specifically prohibts me from doing such. My worse fear came true, about a year ago. One of my favorite patients whom I had taken care of numerous times had told me of being ready to go home. As a matter of fact I was there as he filled out his living will instructing us to NOT bring him back to this world in event that his heart would stop. I had grown quite close to him, he had just turned ninty and he was a very young an energetic ninty, always so appreciative of his nurse help, always with a warm smile and something pleasant to say. I had learned in our many conversations that he and my grandfather had been playmates as children. Which made my connection with him ever more close. So you can imagine my horror when the ER calls a code one night. My shift was actually getting ready to end. I volunteered to go down and assist in the code. Most of you that have never been in a situation where someones heart stops and we begin resuscitation don't know that the abdomen often blows up very large due to our ventilations, the head and face can become so blue to purple the person is often unrecognizable. As a matter of fact in the rush of the moment and doing what comes natural I hadn't even noticed WHO we were actually working on. As someone in the ER says his name.....my hearts jumps in my chest....and I begin to tell them to STOP. He did not want this, he wanted to go peacefully into his saviors arms, he didn't want someone sticking tubes down him, beating on his chest, shocking him and sticking him with needles. NO ONE would stop. They wanted to see his paperwork saying such. I was horrified that this man I assured would not have to go through this was now being put through literal HELL. Finally one of his sons arrived and was able to get them to stop. Why do we fight so hard for this life? Why do we place SO much value on our earthly life? Do we fail to see...this is not what we were created for. We were created for relationship with God. We were created to dwell someday with him in paradise. Revelation 21 & 22 "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God. The wall was made of jasper and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. There will be no more death, or mourning or crying or pain. Everything will be made new." Does this really sound like something that we are willing to sacrifice for THIS life. Is this life of so much value to us that we will continue on with our pain, our suffering, our tears, our hardships, our days of uncertainty. I have a living will. I am only 38 years old. My nurse friends struggle with my decision. But I ask them, "if I was leaving for Jamaica tomorrow, would you try and stop me?," over and over again they say "No, way." I say to them "I am going to a place that is Jamaica TEN times over, don't stop me." Oh the day that I get to walk down those streets of gold and I get to gaze with wonder at water so clear that you have to touch it to make sure that it is even there. Don't get me wrong. I value what life God has given me here. I find such beauty in the things He has shown me thus far....but this life is not something that I cling to. On the day that I go home, I truly expect a party from those that I have left behind. If only I could give them just a glimpse of what I will be seeing. Oh what a glorious day that will be. I guess you could count me in the 1%.