If you knew you were going to die in the next few weeks and you were given the opportunity to speak to a large group of people, what would your last words be?
Many thoughts come to mind. Some of us would not want to talk to anyone, much less an auditorium of strangers wanting to hear what a dying person has to say. But some of us would see this as a last chance to make a difference in the lives of others.
This is the story of Rachel Barkey.
At age 37, Rachel was told her cancer had spread and she had 6-18 weeks, or 42-126 days, to live. As she put it, “Sounds like a long time when you’re waiting for Christmas or something on backorder. But when it’s the time you have to cuddle with your kids or spend with your husband, it’s terribly, terribly short.”
Knowing that the end of her life was imminent, Rachel prepared final messages for her husband, her young children, her family and friends, and people she didn’t know who struggled with the fear of their own death and the injustice of hers.
Here are some of the important truths she shared in her final speech:
- The cancer does not define me. Neither does being a wife or mother. All of these things are a part of who I am, but they do not define me. What defines me is my relationship with Jesus.
- In the midst of my sadness, there is a deep and abiding peace and hope. A peace and hope that I would like you to have too.
- We are changed by what we know. Know God. Know yourself. Know the Gospel. Know your purpose.
- God is good. He is in control and He is fair. When I try to make Him into a God who serves me, I sin.
- In all of my roles, I have one purpose: To be like Jesus; to serve with joy.
- Many people ask “Why?” Why is this happening to you, your husband and your kids? I don’t ask “why” because I know the answer. And here it is: We live in a sinful world. Bad things happen. But it was not supposed to be this way. And it will not always be this way. God has a plan. He has made a way for sinful people, you and me, to be with Him in a perfect world. The way is Jesus.
- I am dying. But so are you. Neither of us knows if we will even see tomorrow. And perhaps the reason I am suffering now, the reason God is waiting to bring judgment to this world, is because He is waiting for you… for you to turn to Him.
- In His providence, God has used the tough things in my life to draw me closer to Him. I am not perfect and I have the scars to prove it. 13 of them. And they serve as a physical reminder of a spiritual reality–that I can never be perfect on my own. I need a Savior. He took my shame upon Himself and rescued me.
- Death is not dying. Death will not kill my soul. My soul is eternal, just like yours.
In the final weeks of her life, Rachel knew with certainty that God provides a way to heaven. A way to freedom. Jesus is the way. The truth is that we are all going to die, and none of us knows when our last day will be. What we do know is that God is waiting. He wants us to turn to Him, to leave the past behind and walk forward into new life with Him. If you have any uncertainty about whether or not you’re going to heaven, if you have any questions about who Jesus is and why someone like Rachel would go to great pains to speak about Him to total strangers before she died, watch Rachel’s final speech on her “Death is Not Dying” website.
Today, there is still time. Take a step toward peace, hope and true joy in the midst of your real life circumstances. Take a step toward Jesus.
“Jesus answered him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by Me. Now that you have known Me,’ He said to them, ‘you will know My Father also, and from now on you do know Him and you have seen Him.’” John 14:6-7 (GNT)
Let’s talk: What thoughts would you include in your final speech?
May I pray? Gracious God, we struggle when someone as young and vibrant as Rachel, who has everything to live for, dies so early and leaves a gaping hole in a precious family. We don’t understand “why”. And yet Lord, You blessed her with the peace of “why”, and the hope of Your salvation not only for her and her family, but for everyone she continues to reach through her lasting words. Jesus, I lift up those reading this today who are unsure about You and Your eternal gift of freedom. Pour out Your love and truth on them as they take a step toward You today. Amen.