Good Monday morning...

… and for the past twenty-two years I have worked bi-vocationally in hospice and the church.  The elders of the church, all through these years, have supported and commented that the hospice role has enhanced the teaching role I have with the church.

End of life care, from the medical through the psycho-social and existential issues, is deep.  People facing their mortality are often contemplative and will leave loved ones with treasured memories of things said, gifts given, or humorous outbursts.  I have been given the most sacred gift of being present at bedside for some of these treasures.

Many years ago, I was called to a home where the dying man was a veteran, a member of a church family we knew from the early years of our marriage, from Corona.  He was lying in bed, probably only days to hours left to live.  It was a serious moment, and the family requested a prayer.  As I began to pray, the man in bed let loose… broke wind as they say.  What am I supposed to do?  I prayed a very short prayer.  As I looked down at the dying man, he was grinning from ear to ear, and said, “that was long and loud and proud!”  We all laughed out loud!

Yesterday I had the distinct privilege of delivering a certificate of appreciation for military service that we give our veterans who are on service with Hospice of the Valleys.  The daughters and spouse were present as I presented the certificate and thanked the Viet Nam Veteran for his service.  Everything was going great, as you would expect.  After a few moments of basking in the joy of the moment, the patient shook my hand and said, “Ok, now you can get the hell out of here.”  After a quick check on the facial expression, I noted no anger, and looked around the room, and we all had a good laugh!  And of course, I left!

These are moments that I treasure, and I know that family members treasure, too.  Having a good laugh in such serious moments, in my opinion, deepens the experience by making it memorable.  Not all end-of-life experiences have a good laugh, but they all carry the weight of relational bonds.  For this reason, I have found the greatest treasure in my two-decade journey of hospice work in the bereavement groups I’ve sat with.  It is always an underlying goal of the groups to find a continuing bond with their loved one while embarking on a new life.

Today I will sit with two different bereavement groups.  These provide my continuing education in human growth and spiritual grit.  The grief work done in my presence will, I trust, continue to deepen my understanding of the immense value of life.  In Christ and His call on all of us who call Him Lord, this understanding goes a long way in reaching people with the good news of His finished work on the cross that saves us from sin and death.

For His glory,

Pastor Mike