Closing Thoughts: Year’s End Perspective from My Dying Friend

Editor’s Note: My friend Lyle Caudill, who has fought cancer since July 9, 2021, announced the news on December 2, 2022 that with additional pain and additional tests, the doctors found more and, this time, aggressive cancer. They told him there was nothing else they could do and gave him a prognosis of days to weeks to live. Almost four weeks later, he is now in hospice care at home. They initially diagnosed him with stage three cancer that was localized and fully treatable. Until this month, everyone thought that was the case.

This week Lyle shared a post on Facebook that I asked if I could share with you, readers of this blog. As one year closes today and another begins tomorrow, I believe his post provides incredible perspective. As a man with an imminent death sentence, no different than us other than a clearer defined timeline, he provides us with great words of wisdom along with a Bible text or two.

As you read these closing thoughts on 2022, understand they are from a man who is providing us with some of his closing thoughts on life as well. Please continue to pray for him, his dear wife Tab, his family, and church family. Not many of us have an opportunity to die well; Lyle does and has.

Closing Thoughts: Year’s End Perspective from My Dying Friend

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

[16] So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. [17] For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, [18] as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 5:1-8

Our Heavenly Dwelling
[1] For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. [2] For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, [3] if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. [4] For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. [5] He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. [6] So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, [7] for we walk by faith, not by sight. [8] Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

From Kevin: The next two verses in his quoted selection read, “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Cor 5:9-10). Paul concludes his thoughts about wanting to go to heaven with a simple reminder that until that day, where he will ultimately stand before God, he wants to live as well pleasing to Jesus Christ.

I hope you see clearly the two part challenge of my friend Lyle to you on this final day of 2022. First, are you ready for eternity? Second, are you holding on to what is finite in your life or are you living for Jesus Christ?

Paul also wrote, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:1-3). 

Thank you, Lyle, my friend, for this timely reminder.