Death Notice

O, Death, I do not fear you.
Nor do I cringe at the thought
of your inevitability—
for I know who you are.

You are but a misty veil through
which I will one day walk
as I enter into that radiant presence
of my Redeemer—your Captor—
Who suffered long ago on a lonely hill
while evil men jeered and good men cried.

You thought you had won,
as He yielded Himself to you those three days,
but it was then that He broke your chains of darkness
and set your captives free!
Why should I fear the conquered
when I am loved by the Conqueror?
His love shattered your blackness
and brightens my path

to a destination that eludes you.
Therefore, Death, you are neither a threat
nor a stumbling block to my purpose for being.

Don’t rattle your chains at me,
save them for those who have cause to fear—
the blind who wander about
beneath the weight of those broken chains—
because they reject the Light.

One day I will step through you,
but will not become a part of you,
because you are the stepping stone
that will lead me to the outstretched hand
of the King of kings
and the Lord of lords
Who awaits my arrival.
When I go, it will be at His bidding—
not yours.

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
—1 Corinthians, 15:55 (kjv)

Kitty Chappell
Copyright 1988