His Last Breath

                                    

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’”*

      During these days before Easter, I have been reading a daily devotional of thought provoking messages. At the end of each day’s devotion is a short, one-line prayer which the author calls a “Breath Prayer.” An example might be: “Thank you, God, for the gift of life.”

      One day as I finished the devotion and read the breath prayer, I thought about a question my dad asked many years ago. We were chatting, just the two of us. I can’t remember where we were sitting or when this happened. All I remember is the feeling of being enveloped in love and of being suspended in time. So it was surprising when my big, burly, ex-football player and retired coach father asked, “What do you think it will be like to take your last breath?”

      “My last breath?” I repeated. Now, that was a heavy question, one that I hadn’t really thought about. It certainly wasn’t something I was planning on doing soon!

      Once when I was a kid swimming in a public pool, a person held my head under the water as a prank. I quickly ran out of air and began thrashing and kicking until he finally released me. I came up spitting out water and bullets—so mad that if he hadn’t moved out of the way, I probably would have punched him. It was a scary experience!

      Another time, I was in a chain of synchronized swimmers, each with her feet hooked under the chin of the swimmer beneath her, forming an underwater wheel. Suddenly, I panicked and had to break free. Again, being out of air and stuck under the water was frightening.

      So, I hesitated before answering him. Then, knowing that he was a man of sincere faith, said, “Well, I don’t know, Dad. But, I am sure that it won’t be scary!”

      Was he thinking about some time in the future, anticipating his own death? He had been close to it a few times, especially when serving in the Marines at the end of World War II and then later in life when he battled a serious knee infection and cancer.

      Time passed after that talk. Just before he and mom celebrated their 58^th wedding anniversary, his health began to quickly decline. Al and I drove to Bakersfield for an anniversary celebration, crowding into their small mobile home with many other family members, friends and relatives. Shortly after the party, dad slipped into a semiconscious state.

      We went back the following Saturday to be with him, as he was very close to death. The weather that morning seemed strange for sunny, dry Bakersfield, with intermittent rain showers. Al went out to work in the back yard and I decided to prune dried out roses from the rose bushes in the front.      

     When the rain began coming down harder, I finally gave up and went inside. As I walked by my parents' bedroom, it seemed like dad had stopped breathing. Mom was in the adjoining bathroom preparing a breathing treatment for him. Only the sound of the pattering rain on the window could be heard. A soft, glowing light came through the lacy curtains. Calling mom, I hurried to his bedside.

“How could that be?” she wondered. “I only left for a moment.”

      We held hands and said our own short prayer, thanking God for dad’s life and committing him into His hands. Dad’s last breath…there was no panic or fear, just peace, stillness and the sense of the Lord’s presence with us all.

      It is a sobering thought, but when we trust in Jesus as the resurrection and the life we have nothing to fear. His life, His death and His resurrection have made a way for us to live with Him forever. He lives! Glory to God!

* John 11:25-26 NIV

National Cemetery near Bakersfield, CA where mom and dad are interred.