Food for the Soul: The Story of An Empty Chair

I got a new visitor from the site and as a practice I return all the visits as much as possible. When I did my visit on this particular visitor I was moved by a story about “An Empty Chair,” a story of death and faith. After reading it I found myself asking am I afraid of death? Maybe yes but not for myself but I guess for the sake of my little kids. If only I can schedule it with God I would have probably do it long time ago. The worries and fears of a mother thinking how difficult it would be for her kids to live and face the world all by themselves made me really feel so afraid and uneasy. When I had a heart to heart talk with my 8 year old girl about her attitude and school matters, I reiterated to her the importance of her education and character. The reality also that I do not own my life and that I would be very happy to see her this early learning things and behaving well. Of course for my beloved husband that I can be with him for the rest of our lives to love and serve him. For my family who needs my help and service.

There maybe several reasons for a person to be afraid of death. To others it may not be the death that they really fear for but the thought of leaving their loved ones. For me I guess I would be ready to face and be with God when the time that my kids are already grown up living blessed lives and when I serve my purpose as a wife, a daughter and a sister. That would take pretty much long but that’s my wish I had to God. Even living in this world is really pretty tough I will still choose to be with my loved ones till that I and them know that its time to part ways. Leaving them will really make me feel sad but I know time will come that we will be together again to live happily forever in the grace and peace of GOD.

AN EMPTY CHAIR

A man's daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her father.
When the minister arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside his bed. The minister assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit. "I guess you were expecting me, he said. No, who are you?" said the father. The minister told him his name and then remarked, "I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew I was going to show up," "Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man. "Would you mind closing the door?" Puzzled, the minister shut the door. "I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man. "But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head." I abandoned any attempt at prayer," the old man continued, "until one day four years ago my best friend said to me, "Johnny, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest." "Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, 'I will be with you always'. "Then just speak to him in the same way you're doing with me right now." "So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I'm careful though if my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm."

The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old man to continue on the journey then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and returned to the church. Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her daddy had died that afternoon. Did he die in peace?" he asked. Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But there was something strange about his death. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?" The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, "I wish we could all go like that."