Once You're Dead, Everything Else Is Gravy

So I've been reading "No Shortcuts To The Top" by Ed Viesturs. It's Ed's tale of his pursuit of climbing all 14 of this planet's mountains that top out over 8,000 meters (approx. 26,200 feet). He dubbed his adventure "Endeavor 8000" and the story is fantastic. If you like adventure at all, there are plenty of used copies out there for cheap.

Ed happened to be on Mt. Everest in May of 1996 when the deadliest of all climbing disasters occurred. You can read a summary of the whole event HERE, but I'm cutting to the chase for brevity's sake.

One of the climbers that season was a man named Beck Weathers. If you've read of Everest at all or heard of this story, you've most likely heard his name. Weathers had been separated from his guide (who perished during the climb) and lost in the storm that wrapped the top of Everest on May 11th. Given up for dead, he had actually bivouacked overnight (meaning no tent or protection) and miraculously survived, mustering enough strength to stumble into one of the high camps, snowblind, with his face and hands terribly frozen.

In his book, Viesturs relates how upbeat Weathers was in spite of his frightful and dangerous condition. He was even singing and joking around with those who were helping him recoup strength and make it down to base camp alive. You would expect someone in his condition, who had experienced the horror he had, would be profoundly shaken and miserable. Viesturs remarked on this almost light-hearted attitude and Weather's response was magnificent:

"Ed, once you're dead, everything else is gravy!"

This man had faced his mortality and survived the unsurvivable. Without a doubt, he was filled with elation, no matter what parts of his body would have to be removed due to frostbite.

For me, Beck Weather's statement has a couple of clear applications. First: the believer in Jesus Christ has no fear of death - there's nothing but joy ahead. Second: the believer should often be reminded of the deadly condition from which they were rescued and should consequently be filled with a "glorious and inexpressible joy." Lost and left for dead, we are unbelievably, miraculously rescued! That ought to make us giddy shouldn't it? I think so.

I'm not sure Weather's line would quite fit into a John Newton hymn, but it's might be worth a try...