THE PROMISE
My Grandad passed away when I was 8 this was my first real encounter with death. I did not react to the news immediately though. It was a couple of weeks later on the day of his funeral when everything finally hit me. The moment I saw his casket pulling up in the hearse pulling up to my estate I completely lost the plot. I was young and I didn’t really understand it all, but I certainly felt it. Since then I have encountered 5 more close deaths 3 out of that 5, unfortunately were murders.
Each encounter was negative and somewhat traumatic and I have not had anything positive to say where death was concerned. At my big age, I just do not understand why people you love have to die. Losing a loved one is one of the most painful things in life and I just didn’t think it it fair.
I have come to understand that most things in life are not fair and I just have to deal with it. However, with time comes growth and understanding and my mindset towards death has somewhat changed which has now led me to the following.
The only thing that is promised to us in this life-time is death.
It is written.
One can not cheat it nor can one escape
because truth be told when it is your time, it is your time.
It is kind of scary when you think about it because neither you or I know when it will be our time . It does blow my mind that we can have so many dreams for our lives but the only thing that is guaranteed to all of us is death. This is a universal truth that not even I am ready for because it is one heavy pill to swallow.
Dying is a part of the circle of life. With every end comes a new beautiful beginning. Although most new beginnings hurt like hell there is always something beautiful to be found on the other side of it. Transitioning is apart of life and at some point in life we all have to go through it.
When I hear of people dying, I have often thought that it was a mistake like maybe God got it wrong. But I have been alive long enough to know that God makes no mistakes. Death is not a mistake. For everything in life there is a time to be born and there is also a time to die. None of us should look at and death as a bad thing because there is always something to learn or gain from it.
The sudden death of supermodel Kim Porter really got me thinking and it inspired this blog post. If you are not a fan of hip-hop music you probably won’t be too familiar with who that is. But Kim Porter was a former supermodel, a part of hip-hop royalty, a Mother of 4, 3 of which she shared with music mogul Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs, whom I absolutely LOVE!
The news shocked me to my core, I am a fan of both and I have kept up with them and their kids on the socials for years. I felt so sad by the news to the point where my heart actually sunk. The last celebrity death that shocked me in this way was Whitney Houston’s. If you follow me on Twitter you probably have seen me professing my love her for on a regular basis.
For me, there was something different about the news of Kim Porters passing that really made me stop and really reflect. I think I probably read every tribute for her on Instagram from her family and friends and the way they spoke about her truly humbled me. I know when people die, everybody has something amazing to say about them but reading those tributes it was clear to me that Kim had a profound impact on the lives that she touched. All of the tributes were so heart felt and some even brought me to tears.
I was so moved to the point where it made me really question myself.
I questioned whether I was living abundantly?.
Am I walking in love and light?
Am I living gracefully?
Am I compassionate enough?
Am I being Kind?
Am I forgiving wholeheartedly?
Am I being selfless?
Am I holding on to my past?
Am I walking in my God-given purpose?
I literally held myself under a magnifying glass and examined every aspect of my life and boy it was very insightful.
“The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living”
Marcus Tullius Cicero
It was so weird because I felt like God gave me an unusual wake-up call. It left me with no other choice but to really evaluate myself from the inside out. I realised that what I do with my life whilst I am still alive and how I make people feel is what matters the most, above everything else.
It is so weird how death can just put things into perspective. After you get over the shook it can be very enlightening. I didn’t even know that I needed and I am glad it shifted my perspective on life and the way I will live it going forward. I know you are probably thinking Jenna this is some heavy stuff and yes it is. But I just wanted to share this because it really got me thinking about my own life. As crazy as this sounds there are so many valuable life lessons that can be learned through death. We just have to change our perspective!
I would love to know your thoughts, let’s discuss in the comments below or hit me up on Twitter or Instagram @Jennasworldview
This post was a lot, so of course, you know that I have to end it with a prayer, scroll down to read below.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for blessing us with the greatest blessing above all which is the gift of life. In saying that Lord, I know that we are not created to live forever, but we were created to live a fulfilling and abundant life that showcases all of your glory. I give you thanks and praise for the divine assignment over the life of myself and my readers. God, I kindly ask of you that none of us will leave this earth before our time. May the purpose of our true existence be manifested in its full form. Keep us all away from all harm and evil, but help us to walk in love, peace and real happiness. AMEN ??
Stay blessed
Lots of love
Jenna
xoxo
xo
rioribaya
Yes, death makes us think of our own mortality, but it also makes us realise how precious life is. And to live it to the fullest without wasting any moment on mundane stuff.
– Rio, http://www.rioribaya.wordpress.com
The WinnieVerse
Death is one thing I’m so scared of but is inevitable. I haven’t really experienced any close death… well except my grandfather which it didn’t really hurt much. But I know how loosing someone close to you can hurt.
carpe diem Eire
Very deep. I think it’s always shocking when someone who is young dies, as it makes us think. I normally wouldn’t think much about death, I’m a live in the moment kind of guy. When it comes it comes (but I hope it’s much later). Like you said mortality is a fact of life, and something we must live with.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. John
pa3shia
This is really deep.
Death might sound really scary but there’s nothing anyone can do about it.
We all just have to hope and pray we live long enough to fulfill our purpose because THAT is the most important.
sheresenicole
Death scares me, and not my own death. I don’t know how I’d survive without someone I’m really close to (mom or losing a friend) because I really don’t know how I would handle it… So I try not to think about it! And enjoy my moments with them.
Jessika G.
You brand the heat today sis! I used to be afraid of death. No longer, but what I do struggle with is spending to much time worrying about what and how I will live out my purpose before that inevitable time comes. Your prayer at the end of the post gave me the peace I needed to overcome that anxiety. I praise God for connecting us. I’m going to print out this prayer and add it to my vision board for next year.
Thank you! Peace & Love,
Jessika G.
AfricanSoulGoddess
Death makes us reflect on our own lives. It is a rude awakening to the way we live our lives.
AfricanSoulGoddess
Death is a rude awakening to the way we live our lives. It makes us reflect on life itself.
glowsteady
How we handle/ react to death can really shock us. It’s strange how some deaths hit you harder than others sometimes. It sounds like you’ve been through a lot! But it’s good to reflect sometimes x
Sophie
http://www.glowsteady.co.uk
collette jimenez
I do think about death without fear. Because it is the unknown. I just think it is parallel Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
collette jimenez
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
georginawangui
Beautiful post…
I have lost so many loved ones, and it’s crazy how their deaths have impacted the way I live my life. Death is the only guaranteed thing, and I would like to live a life people would be proud of even when I’m gone…
Georgina | https://georginawangui.com
Janae Johnson
I absolutely loved the prayer at the end. Thank you so much for that, Jenna. ♥️??
jennasworldview
Hey Janae
I am so happy to hear this 🙂
Thank you for reading x
Janae Johnson
?♥️
Shaienna Monique
My granddad passed away when I was that same age as well and that being the first death in my family that I was fully aware of was heartbreaking; especially because we were so close. Then a few years ago, the grandma that I was closest to passed and it was an extremely different feeling. While it’s normal and okay to be sad, I’ve learned to take the positive aspects from the deaths of those I love. Life is too precious not to appreciate nor to not live it the way we want. I think the difference for me was witnessing my granddad live a pretty stagnant life while my grandma lived hers in extravagance with vacations, her church family, life changing events, etc. It’s made me want to cherish life that much more and live my best life at that. I hope you accomplish the same perspective and from your words on this post, there’s no doubt in my mind that you will!
jennasworldview
Hey Shaienna
Thank you ever so much for reading my post and leaving me such a personal comment. Life really is precious and we must all do our best to be our best and make the most of it. These words were so kind, I really appreciate this.
Jenna xox