Oh, Death Where Is Your Sting?

One of the most difficult days of my life was March 19, 2009.  My youngest brother, Joe, just 34 years old, was sent to the hospital by his doctor.  He had been sick with the flu, and now he was struggling to breathe.  I rushed to the ER and stayed with him overnight so the rest of our family could go home and rest.  A friend who worked as a nurse at the hospital came and said the ER doctor and medical team were attempting to intubate Joe, but things were not looking good.

I was tired, and worried, and I had this heaviness surrounding me like a blanket.  When I heard that news, I immediately dropped to my knees and begged God to save my brother’s life.  God answered my prayer, but in ways I did not expect, and one I wasn’t ready to hear.  I never imagined this would be the last time I would see Joe alive. He died that night. Instead of feeling devastated, I felt an unexpected sense of peace and freedom.

We called a casket company, explaining what we wanted.  When the man arrived, he told us that Joe was blessed to have been called home to be with the Lord—that a place had already been prepared for him in heaven.  In that moment, I finally understood the peace and freedom that Jesus had given me that night in the hospital.  The worry and heaviness I had felt was replaced by a sense of happiness and peace, knowing that Joe was now in the presence of the Lord.  God had answered my prayer—not in the way I had hoped for, but in a way that promised Joe eternal life with Jesus.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving,

let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which passes all

understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7

Olga Longoria

Houston, Texas