Death Teaches Us “How” to Live
I wanted to take you on a personal journey into an important person who passed away suddenly in February whom I knew well and share with you what I have learned from his passing. So many of have learned to fear death or not talk about it, but I want you as my friends, take the higher road and realize death can be a great teacher.
For instance, my grandson who is 7 is obsessed with death because he now is understanding this principle and is always asking if our dog, Kai who is twelve is going to die. He is afraid of losing something he loves—as we all are. He just has the courage to talk about it.
So, let’s talk about it now…
Don't Take This Life for Granted
I just attended and spoke at the celebration of life for Randy Schimon, who had been pastoring my online creative community, Kingdom Creative Movement, for the past six and a half years.
This means that I was with him weekly (4 times a week), mentoring and leading people to understand their creative identity, helping them grow in leadership development, and helping to lead weekly ministry opportunities for healing and prophetic ministry through our KCM membership.
We raised up hundreds of students who looked up to Randy as a spiritual father, some he had never met in person, but whom he had loved as fierce and deep as if they were sitting directly across the table with them.
Randy and I traveled together globally, and I always knew I could count on Randy to work out issues, love well, and be a supportive anchor in our KCM Family.
Tragically, he passed away suddenly on February 7th of cancer complications. That left such a huge hole in my life because there was no one like Randy, who had been there weekly with me and my online KCM community. I miss his smile and encouraging words greatly, and I know my KCM family does as well.
As Randy has left us for a better place, Randy’s death has been a signpost for me on how fragile our life can be and to examine how we can live NOW to prepare for what legacy we will leave behind.
At the memorial on April 15th, the church was packed by family members, friends, church members he had raised up for 12 years in the children’s ministries he led, and our global KCM members who knew him.
I am up now in Seattle, close to where he lived, sitting in a coffee shop the day after his memorial, asking the question, “What can his death teach us?”
So, here are 3 important truths that I have learned as I grieve and rejoice over Randy’s celebration of life:
Build Daily Choices To Love
Each person from Randy’s life, shared about how they were impacted by Randy’s consistent encouragement to truly be “seen and known for who they are.” He never turned a person away and he always gave each person his undivided attention. The people who were under his care could count on him through every circumstance they faced.
Action Plan
Take time and think through the people God has given you and let them know today what you believe about them and who they are to God and to you. Proverbs 6:4 (NLT): Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do.
Discover Your Creative Language with the Holy Spirit
When Randy became my intern in 2019, he felt he was NOT creative because he had compared himself to others his whole life—what a tragedy! Yet, through prophesying, he found surrealism images on the internet and would speak prophetically over others in my KCM movement weekly, which were gamechangers in people’s lives. He learned that he was not only creative in nature as a child of God, but that he was destined to awaken that in others.
Action Plan
What do you LOVE to create and express that you can bless others with and call out the gold in them? Is it floral designs, culinary, art, photography, poetry, quotes, fashion, parties, encounters with God that release heaven, or creative surprises
Decide to do that today or this week and see how this seed will grow!
Hebrews 10:24-25 (TPT): Discover creative ways to encourage others and to motivate them toward acts of compassion, doing beautiful works as expressions of love. This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing, because we need each other! In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward as we anticipate that day dawning.
GO FOR IT!
If Randy’s passing has taught me anything, it’s to go after God’s inner voice telling me to dare to go after my dreams NOW! Randy and his wife, Linda were writing a book about their lives and had two more chapters to go, when Randy passed suddenly. What if he had decided NOT to start to write that book? As Linda finishes the last two chapters, she can give the world Randy’s heart in a way that now will live on past him.
David Pennington, our KCM UK leader came all the way from England to be with Linda and to speak at the memorial and he said that if Randy could say anything to us now, he would say, “Go for it!”
This is the beauty of Christ in us, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). He ALWAYS has another creative idea or adventure waiting for us as we co-create with God. This is why I am not afraid of death because this will be a continuation of what I have sown on earth. And if you think the earth is beautiful, wait till you see Jesus, the Father, and the Spirit face to face!!
We have a legacy to leave behind by the daily choices we make, how we creatively love others, and how we relentlessly pursue our dreams. Don’t waste another moment with regret, lack, fear, or past negative experiences when God wants you to LIVE from a greater reality.
My friend, Randy is now in heaven with the angels, walking on streets of gold, living in an eternal state of bliss. His story of faithfulness, joy, and creative love lives on in his earthly family and our KCM family. Listen to the eternal voice calling you to arise, create, and become who you are called to be!
You ARE born to create and live fully alive!
-Theresa
