My heart and prayers go out to Robin Gibb and his family, friends and fans all over the world as he lies quietly in a coma. I have a lifetime of respect for the Brothers Gibb and it is sad to think of a major musical voice being silenced.

Illness, injury, death… Welcome to life after the fall of man, folks. Everything withers and dies and it’s because of Original Sin. Prior to the fall even animals were not killed at our hand! Now it’s all we know: DEATH.

Prior to meeting Jesus I could care less about anything but what suited me at the time. Like a baby with fists clenched coming out of the womb I spent the first nineteen years of my life crying (no, screaming) for what was “rightfully” mine and holding it ever so tightly once I obtained it.

Thirty years later (and wiser for knowing the Lord) I have learned that everything has a beginning, middle and end. Even our best accomplishments will not sustain us and our best relationships are doomed to one of us passing away, leaving a grieving other.

How do humans function knowing that there’s a death awaiting us? Our pets are not aware of this and they live each day to their interest and fulfillment while we look at them knowing that they will age and become ill and die right in front of us. And one day we realize that’s our fate as well.

I am shamelessly sad about this. And afraid. I’ve been ill in the past (cancer and worse in my 20’s) and know what the process looks like. But I have a comfort. Jesus sent me The Comforter! The Holy Spirit was sent to me for moments like these-especially moments like these where no human contact or well-wishing is gonna fix me.  

I need The Real Deal. I need my Jesus to remind me that even if death awaits me, He will see me through it. Do you have that comfort? I can’t imagine functioning without it. Call it a crutch but death is serious business and I don’t plan to go it alone. I hope you don’t plan to either.

As for me, I’m so glad there’s sugar (Jesus) in the water…