Last night, my first shift of night call, I started my duties with a death pronouncement.

I have never had to do something like this before. My job was to walk in, respectfully speak to any family in the room, invite them to either stay in the room or leave, and then proceed to check the heart, lungs, eyes, etc.  I realized it was essentially a ritual. The nurse had listened for a heartbeat for over a fully minute with no beat prior to my arrival.  I was there to help give the family closure. They had to know that this long, painful journey was finally over. No more tears, no more pain.  As the patient lay on the bed there was a calm and peace over their body that was left behind. I do not know for sure if he/she (I do not like giving out too many details about my patients over the internet, which is expressly why I have never mentioned what hospital I work at and rarely have I ever even said what state I am in currently) knew God, but I would like to believe they did given the peace in the room.

When we suffer in this world, we need to allow God to call TOD (time of death) on the things that have brought us pain or shame.  For those of you struggling with addictions to drugs, pornography, alcohol, smoking, or painful/shameful pasts I implore you now to let Jesus call TOD on them in your life.  He has given you a new life to move forward in. He wants you to allow the old man to die and to walk in newness of life in Him.

So my question to you is this: will you allow Jesus to call TOD on those things that hold and chain you or will you allow them to stay in your life- continuing the pain and suffering? It may take fasting to check if it has a heartbeat, prayer to see if it’s still breathing, reading His Word to know if it still has a pulse, and having an accountability partner to check if it’s eyes are still reacting- but it will be worth it in the end!

Know that there is peace in walking away from the things of this world.  Know that yes, there is a time of grief over those things at times, but when all is said and done just as I believe that sometimes death is truly the ultimate form of healing, so it truly is the ultimate form of healing when it comes to sources of pain and shame in our lives.

Let today, right now, be your TOD. Let it also be your TOB- time of birth.

In Him,

Rebekah M.