Adieu, My Neighbour...

Last Tuesday morning my wife informed me of my neighbour being taken to hospital on a car in a very serious state. I simply reckon it must have been a heart attack and after the consultation with the doctor, proper medication must have been given and nothing to worry as such. But on the same night, I saw an ambulance parking on their courtyard, and in the morning the next day, throng of people crowed their house. By that time I guestimate that he must have passed away. Yes, I guessed it right.

Later, I visited the bereaved family to enquire and console them. They simply explained the reason for the death was an impromptu heart attack, the first and the last. The decease was the elder brother of  a joint-family and a wealthy and religious man. He had been taking a walk almost daily with his wife as we could see them go out. Death had caught him so suddenly. Irrespective of how much care one has taken on his health or well being, when the time come, it just came. A very natural death but very untimely and unexpected.

 

This news has left a deep impression in me, and in our morning prayer and pursuit, I chose a hymn, Life at best is very brief.  https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/1043

Life at best is very brief,
Like the falling of a leaf,
Like the binding of a sheaf,
    Be in time!
Fleeting days are telling fast
That the die will soon be cast,
And the fatal line be passed,
    Be in time!

Be in time! Be in time!
While the voice of Jesus calls you,
  Be in time!
If in sin you longer wait,
You may find no open gate,
And your cry be just too late:
    Be in time! 

Fairest flowers soon decay,
Youth and beauty pass away;
O you have not long to stay,
    Be in time!
While God’s Spirit bids you come,
Sinner, do not longer roam,
Lest you seal your hopeless doom,
    Be in time! 

Time is gliding swiftly by,
Death and judgment draweth nigh,
To the arms of Jesus fly,
    Be in time!
O I pray you count the cost!
Ere the fatal line be crossed,
And your soul in hell be lost,
    Be in time! 

Sinner, heed the warning voice,
Make the Lord your final choice,
Then all heaven will rejoice,
    Be in time!
Come from darkness into light;
Come, let Jesus make you right;
Come, receive His life tonight,
    Be in time!

The fellowship and prayer we had was on the need for urgency in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and bringing people to salvation. Especially the ones we cared for and who are not yet saved. 

Since the time we moved to the house where we are right now, the first burden I had was to pray for the salvation of our neighbour in our community. We did have a good relationship as neighbours but not dear enough to freely go and preach the gospel. When his son got married, a brother and I attended his marriage and gifted the Holy Bible, Recovery Version. That was best gift I could think of. Thereafter, thrice I had met him for some enquiries, and in of which a brother, who is also my house owner, preached the gospel to him.

Something has been hindering us from freely and directly preaching the gospel, though we have been praying from them quite often. When the sad news of his demise was known, I could simply call, "O Lord Jesus!" Now, the burden is on the family members of the bereaved. Only the Lord may grace us to preach the gospel and bring them to salvation in a cordial way, and not to regret until another death strikes.

We did attend the "prayer meeting" for the deceased. We could only let our neighbor know that we do care for them and did our best to maintain a cordial relationship. Much more than this, the gospel has to preached as much as we prayed for them. Lord, save them!

Life, indeed, is very brief. I must aggressive labor to preach the gospel and bring sinners to salvation. This incident is a wake up call.

As for now, adieu, my neighbour...

But not another one without the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ.