DYING

LAST NIGHT I WAS WITH A COUSIN AND A FRIEND, BOTH OF WHOM GREW UP WITH ME, PLAYED WITH ME, ATTENDED SCHOOL WITH ME, AND WITH WHOM WE HAVE SEVERAL DECADES OF MEMORIES BETWEEN THE 3 OF US.

IT HAPPENED TO BE THE WEEKEND OF OUR SCHOOLS REUNIONS AND DUE TO THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS REUNION YEAR MORE THEN USUAL WERE EXPECTED TO BE IN TOWN FOR THIS MOMENTOUS OCCASION.

THOUGH MY COUSIN ATTENDED ANOTHER SCHOOL THAN US, WE WERE STILL VERY ACQUAINTED WITH PARTIES FROM BOTH SCHOOLS.

I ENJOYED THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE SO MANY FACES FROM THE PAST, CATCH-UP, AND REMINISCE.

THOUGH I TRULY FELT OUT OF PLACE WHERE THEY CHOSE TO GATHER, I'M GLAD I DIDN'T MISS SEEING SO MANY OLD FRIENDS.

I'M SURE MANY A HOLY ROLLER WOULD PASS JUDGEMENT ON MY ATTENDING SUCH A FUNCTION, IN SUCH A PLACE, BUT THAT'S THEIR BONDAGE, NOT MINE.

I DON'T BELIEVE MY ENTIRE SAVED WALK IS JEOPARDIZED BY ONE EVENT BY GOD, AND HE'S THE ONLY OPINION THAT MATTERS.

ANYWAYS, I MUST SAY THAT IT BEGAN TO DAWN ON ME THAT I WAS NO LONGER A PART OF THEIR WORLD, THEIR CIRCLES, THEIR INTEREST, THEIR REALITY, BUT NEITHER WERE THEY A PART OF MINE EITHER.

WE LAUGHED, JOKED, AND ENJOYED AN ALL-AROUND GOOD TIME, BUT I KNEW THAT THINGS WERE CHANGED FOREVER, AND I BEGAN TO GROW SAD.

SAD BECAUSE I NOW REALIZE A LITTLE BETTER WHAT THE LORD REQUIRES OF US IN-ORDER FOR OUR BEING FIT FOR HIS USE.

I FELT AS THOUGH I WERE AT A MASS FUNERAL, WITH PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THE FUNERAL WAS THERE, OR THEIRS.

IT SADDENED ME TO THINK THAT I MAY NEVER SEE ANY OF THESE FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY EVER AGAIN, OR THAT THEY MAY NEVER KNOW GOD AS THEIR SAVIOR.

IT WAS ALSO SAD TO REALIZE NOW, THAT MY GOOD-BYES WOULD TRULY BE GOOD-BYES NATURALLY, AND PHYSICALLY.

I HAD TO ACCEPT THAT MY CASKET WAS ALSO CLOSING FOR THE FINAL TIME AS I MUST COMPLETELY DIE OUT TO THE WORLD AS I'VE KNOWN IT MY ENTIRE LIFE, BOTH UNSAVED AND SAVED.

I WAS SURPRISED AT HOW TIGHTLY I'D CONTINUED TO CLING TO THE WORLD.

EVEN THOUGH I'VE LONG SINCE STOPPED PRACTICING WORLDLY THINGS, AND DISCOVERED I TRULY NO LONGER DESIRE TO HANGOUT AND FELLOWSHIP IN WORLDLY WAYS, I UNTIL THEN HADN'T REALIZED HOW MUCH I STILL NEEDED TO DIE OUT TO THE WORLD.

THIS IS WHY I WAS SADDENED. I GUESS SOMEWHERE DEEP INSIDE I CONTINUED TO BELIEVE I SOMEHOW WAS A PART OF THE WORLD, THOUGH I HAD LEFT IT.

THE TRUTH IS I HAD LEFT IT, BUT IT HADN'T LEFT ME.

MY BEING IN THIS SETTING FAR FROM ENTICED ME TO RETURN TO THE WORLD , BUT IT SHOWED ME I HAD MORE DYING TO DO, MORE GOOD-BYES TO SAY, AND A GREATER CLOSENESS TO GOD TO SEEK.

PERHAPS I'M NOT EXPLAINING OR DESCRIBING MY EXPERIENCE THE WAY I FELT IT, BUT I KNOW I WAS IMPACTED BY THIS WEEKEND LONG REUNION.

I'M GLAD TO HAVE DISCOVERED WHAT I HAVE, EVEN WITH THE SAD REALIZATION'S THAT ACCOMPANIED IT.




2DAYS PROPHETIC ADMONITION: DYING OUT COMPLETELY IS EASIER SAID THEN DONE AND CAN NEVER BE TAKEN LIGHTLY.

WE MUST ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE WORLD AS THOUGH WE ARE ATTENDING OUR OWN FUNERALS AND SAYING GOOD-BYE FOR THE FINAL TIME.

WE ARE THEN TO GO AND LIVE WITH AND FOR OUR FATHER HERE ON EARTH UNTIL HE COMES FOR US.

REMEMBER WE MAY LEAVE THE WORLD, BUT WE MUST ALSO GET THE WORLD TO LEAVE US.






I PRAY GOD'S PEACE N MERCY B UPON U AND URS !






G-TEP aka K.J. DUMPSON