As I learned in my Hospice training, there are two miracles in life: birth and death. We all celebrate birth and seem to approach death with fear.
After the many responses to my posts concerning death, I realized that many of us struggle with the unknown. A gentleman sent me a link to a helpful booklet called, Insights Into the Afterlife: 30 Questions and Answers on What to Expect, By Nora M. Spurgin.
The following are direct quotes taken from this booklet to help us dispel the fear of death, giving us a more meaningful life on earth and comfort in the loss of a loved one.
Here is the link to the entire enlightening booklet. This is just an appetizer. I urge you to read the entire dinner course! http://www.unification.net/misc/insights.html
Introduction:
“While surveys show that most people believe in some form of life after death, most of us are less certain what form that life will take.
Our lives on earth are preparation for the eternal life and this is a source of great hope, expectation and joy.
We came to an understanding that every person has a place in the heart of God. Every individual has been created to receive the joy, the blessings and the delights of heavenly life because of God’s love.
Death or passing to the spiritual world is like birth, into a new and deeper level of existence, and, if we are prepared, the time of passing can be a celebration of joy, like a birthday!
Life is real! Life is Earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returneth,
Was not spoken of the soul. (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)
Here are a couple of the 30 questions and answers that I found helpful:
- What is the spirit world like?
Sensitive people who have had glimpses into the world beyond say it is a world much like our own, but having no time nor space as we think of these dimensions; it exists in a higher dimension of energy and, in its higher realms, is a world of inexpressible beauty. It is a world where it is possible to be fully alive, where, for example, the whole body perceives. It is a world of endless possibilities for creativity and full realization of self; and it is a world where the love of God is like the air we breathe. As air is the atmosphere on earth, God’s love is the atmosphere in the spirit world.
One’s spiritual body can travel with thought waves. Therefore, if one thinks of a person and place, he can immediately be transported there. Communication is also by thought. In addition, one is free from the restrictions of the physical body; eating, for example, is possible, but not necessary to maintain the physical body. In the spiritual world, one realizes that life on earth has, like life in the womb, been preparation for a fuller, freer and richer eternal existence.
- Do our prayers for the deceased help?
As a form of positive mental energy, prayer rightly directed represents our joining our energies with those of God as He seeks the growth and well-being of His children. Through prayer we cooperate with both God and the angelic and spiritual beings of the spirit world in an on-going, cosmic effort for the liberation of humanity.
Because God looks to humankind as cocreators, and because He cherishes all efforts for the well-being of others, prayer is never wasted. Sooner or later, these efforts inevitably bear fruit, assisting in the positive advancement of those persons on whose behalf they are made. Calling out a specific name in prayer will draw cosmic energy to that person.
Praying for someone who has passed on will be a boost on the other side to enlist the help of spiritual guides for the new arrival. Indeed, living in the spirit world, spirit persons may be even more sensitive to the beneficial effects of prayer than they were on earth.”
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Hope sharing pieces of this booklet helps us with understanding some of the “unknowns” about death, enabling us to celebrate the second of these miracles that lies ahead of us.
What questions do you have about your next “miracle”?
