SLEEPING IN A COFFIN

While watching our grandkids a while ago, I noticed our son had a skull sitting on his desk.  Can't remember why he has it there, but it reminded me of an illustration from book I read. 

P. 64 - "The Wisdom of Each Other" by Eugene Peterson.  

"We live in a culture that is so determined to eliminate death from our awareness that we deliberately block from our mind this essential reality of our existence.  How distorted our imaginations become if we forget that we are going to die. Amnesia regarding death soon develops into illusions regarding life."

"The old theologians often kept a skull on their writing tables to remind them of their mortality.  Some monks in the Middle Ages used to sleep in their coffins at night to prevent presuming on another day of life. We cannot live well if we are not preparing to die well."