Okay, most people don’t really want to talk about death.  We avoid deathly-ill people.  None of us feel competent in being around the surviving family when death has struck; we don’t know what to say… what to do or how to handle ourselves.

And we do a similar dance when it comes to our own death.  We all know we are going to die; death is a certainty for every single one of us… the mortality rate continues to hover around 100%!

Yet, depending on which research you read, between 55 and 70 percent of Americans die without a will.  We just don’t want to deal with it.  We don’t believe it will actually happen to us…or at least not in the near future.  So, we live with our head in the sand – – we live in denial.

So what am I saying?

Deal with it.

Get yourself ready.

If you love your wife and kids, get your “house in order.” Talk, pray, seek counsel… whatever it takes to get on the same page. Prepare your wills. Cover all the eventualities. Think five years, not forever. Put it on your calendar and come back to it again when you’re a little further down the road.

But don’t put it off. Deal with it.

Twice in the last 8 months, close friends have died with NO WARNING. I’ve seen the aftermath. The personal loss, the pain, the grief, the anxiety of “if only we had_____”; all of that is bad enough. But then to discover that there isn’t a will, or it’s been untouched for years and doesn’t reflect current reality? It just makes matters worse.

So be ready financially. Make sure your wills, your insurance, your 401K beneficiary designation… EVERYTHING is “ticked and tied”.

And be ready relationally. Make every effort to repair any broken or damaged relationships. Leave a legacy of forgiveness, love and grace toward your family and friends.

Be ready spiritually. Surrender to Him completely. Obey Him. Serve Him. Put Him first.

30 seconds after you die you’re no longer going to need faith. Our God will be real.

Unmistakably real. I’m betting we’re going to be so pleasantly surprised when we get to heaven that we’ll wish we hadn’t been so chicken about dying.

Question: Is your house in order?  If not – get it done.