In his old age, Solomon insightfully declared, “It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart” (Eccl. 7:2). He also reminded his listeners that “the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning” (Eccl. 7:4).

Many of us have experienced the reality that death reminds us how we want to live. This past November, death came swiftly and suddenly to my (Melissa’s) family. We learned on a Wednesday that my mom’s cancer had spread to her liver. She died three days later on Saturday.

As I sat by her bedside in the days between her diagnosis and death, my mom was surrounded by her husband, children, nine grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. We prayed, we wept, and we remembered. It was beautiful and sacred and sorrowful. At that moment, every promise of Scripture seemed all the more true, comforting, and hopeful.

This week’s episode, “Remembering Death Teaches Us to Live” with Colleen Chao, invites us all to pause and ponder the brevity of life. Too often we’re distracted by the pursuit of pleasure and the glory of gain, and we miss the moment to wisely listen and remember what truly matters. We hope this special episode will encourage you as it did both of us.