I am yet to ask a person who has been at the point of death
this question directly. So perhaps if you have been at a point or in a
situation where you thought I will not come out of this alive, I will be
delighted if you can answer the question.
We religiously encourage people to live like it is their
last days on earth, we remind them to live as though that was the last chance,
but of course, no one knows it is his or her last chance until it actually is,
and then all the rehearsed performances flies out of the window.
A few weeks ago, someone close to me found herself in a
situation where she wasn’t sure she would leave that place alive. It was a most
difficult few days for her, her child (Who was also in the same situation, but
thank God for the innocent oblivion of a child), her husband, and even us their
friends. We kept thinking, will she make it alive, but of course, we kept
praying and trusting God to make good on His promises. But one part of us kept
wondering what she was going through, what she is thinking and if she thought
she will come back home alive. I have not asked yet what were her exact thoughts
in these moments. I will soon ask her.
But right now, I want you to think..if you were faced with a
situation where it is more likely that you will not make it than you would,
what will be thoughts running through your mind?
People often say that that at
the momen of death, one’s entire lifetime will flash by. Perhaps so, but can
you really stick an entire lifetime into one moment. If that moment were to be
long drawn out, like for a few hours or a few days, while waiting to be
despatched off, what will be on our minds? How will we see life? Regrets?
Fulfilments? Lost opportunities? Would we be asking God to forgive our sins?
And will it be because we are now faced with the reality of death, of course it
is. If we have not found him in all the time before the calamity threatens, it
obviously means that the reason why we now fervently ask him is because of the
calamity. And the question then follows...will God answer us? Will He see that
request as genuine or will He see it as some desperate last words of a
desperate last moment?
So there you go... try to think about this? I know a lot of
people don’t think about difficult questions. We simply just take our minds off
it... but I want you to try, and if you did try, I want you to let us know what
you came up with. What will you do if you find yourself at the point of death?
Let me tell a story... When I was growing up (not that have stopped growing), we used to live in a compound (face me, I face you) on Lagos Island.
ReplyDeleteI remember coming back from Asalatu (a muslim prayer group) one sunday afternoon and I witnessed the death of our neigbour; Mr. Paper ( Nobody knew his real name, he was said to have adopted this name 'Paper' after the Biafra civil war during which he lost his entire family. He then took up a job as a newspaper vendor). Anyways I remember vividly coming into our compound that afternoon and I saw some able bodied men trying to carry Mr. Paper to a vehicle waiting outside to convey him to the hospital as he has been very sick. But no matter how hard they tired the men were not able to lift him off the ground as he was in what am now to remember as his point of death.
Mr. Paper could neither stand nor sit, neither could he lie still ( I still can't describe fully his position) then he started vomiting, after emptying the content of his stomache, he began to bring forth a lot of silver at the mouth. ( I could not move from my spot as I stood transfixed to the scenery right before me). After a while he urinated on himself and then started shedding tears, it was as if he knew that was his last moment on earth as the tears kept coming without ceasing. Finally the men who had been trying to help him were able to carry him and took him into the waiting vehicle were he died.
Till date I always wondered if that is how painful the last moment of everyone will be. Not the usual stories we read nor the movies we watch were people simply accept death without struggle or pain.
However, if we are to choose, I will like to die with a lot of calmness around me where I will be assured of a better place ( since am a muslim) but if not...
I found this and it helps the original article with some additional perception...
ReplyDelete“The realisation that one is to be hanged in the morning concentrates the mind wonderfully.” – Samuel Johnson
Bilqis, thanks. That was gripping.
ReplyDeleteSo what do people actually feel when they are dying?
Terror? Peace? Longing?
In Mr Paper's case, it was either terror or deep regret.
Thank you for that. I hope we can have many more people sharing their own experience or other people's that they witnessed..
Interestingly, I found that I had written this article this morning. When I wrote the article, I was asking questions. Now I have finally come to the understanding of what happens. I personally had a situation in which I was not sure if I would live or die. Every moment, anything could have happened and this went on for many days. Of course, I didn't die, which is why I am here, but very soon, I will share with you the story of the event. Needless to say, when you are in such a situation, many things that you had held to be super-important earlier becomes totally irrelevant.
ReplyDeleteYou live life on moment by moment basis, and you do things that have. can I say, eternal importance.