COLUMN: Don’t Mind the Mess – The other side

A man once went to visit his doctor and asked, “Tell me, what happens when we die? What’s on the other side?”

The doctor paused before answering, “I don’t know.”

The man frowned. “How can you not know? You’re a doctor. You’re a Christian. Shouldn’t you have an answer?”

The doctor walked to the door and opened it. His dog, who had been waiting outside, rushed in, tail wagging, eyes full of trust. “My dog has never been in this room before. He had no idea what was on the other side of that door. But none of that mattered – his master was here. And that was enough.” That story has stayed with me, especially now, more than a year after my sister went to heaven. She wasn’t afraid of dying. To her, it was just another journey, another adventure. She felt sorrow for those she would leave behind, but she never feared the unknown. She believed that the same Jesus who had always walked beside her in this life would be waiting for her when she took her last breath. She didn’t need to know exactly what heaven looked like. She just knew He would be there. And that was enough.

I think about that a lot. Let’s be honest – most of us aren’t eager to leave this world. Even those who believe in heaven still cling to life because it’s what we know. We flinch at words like “diagnosis” or “prognosis.” We worry about doctor’s visits, tests, and outcomes. We’re human. We’re mortal. And death is the great unknown.

Even people who have had near-death experiences, who claim to have seen glimpses of something beyond, don’t erase all our doubts. We want certainty. We want details. But maybe we don’t need them. Maybe all we really need to know is that our Master is there, on the other side of that door, waiting for us.

And that’s where Easter changes everything.

On that first Easter morning, the stone was rolled away, and Jesus stepped out of the grave – alive. He defeated death. He walked into the unknown ahead of us and came back to tell us not to be afraid. Because of Him, we don’t have to fear what’s on the other side. He’s already there, preparing a place for us.

I imagine my sister stepping into eternity just as she stepped into everything else in life – with faith, trust, and expectation, knowing that Jesus would keep His promise. And I wonder, when my own time comes – hopefully in the very distant future – will that be enough for me?

I believe it will be. Because faith isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about trust. And I trust that when I step beyond this life, I won’t be stepping into darkness. I’ll be stepping into the light.

The message of Easter reaches beyond the empty tomb. It also offers us a new way to live in the here and now. There is a boldness that comes with knowing that paradise awaits us. We don’t have to live in fear of what tomorrow brings, because when you know the destination is perfect, the bumps and detours along the way don’t seem so daunting. The farewells don’t feel quite as final, knowing the journey will one day end back in the arms of the people we love – and the Saviour who has been with us all along. And when that moment arrives, I know that the smiles and hugs that greet me will make the heartache of every goodbye worth it, because every farewell in this life is just a pause before forever.