INSIGHT
THINGS THAT MATTER
MOST
How do you mentally handle it when the doctor tells you have
an untreatable condition and asks you if you want to die at home or in the
hospital? "At home" I told him, and also that I had two goals. The first was to live until
my 82nd birthday, which was July 12, 2014 - six months away. The second was to publish my
fourth book “Timely Wisdom”. Neither seemed realistic at the time.
In April my life would soon be over was confirmed by the
family doctor who told me there is nothing more he could do for me and he was
turning me over to a heart specialist. In May the heart specialist told me
there was nothing more he could do for me and I should be prepared to die. He
turned me over to hospice to care for me and keep me comfortable until I would
die.
The book of the Ecclesiastes 3:2 says “there is a time to be
born and a time to die”. Being born is reality but death is an illusion. But
when we are told that our days are limited and that death is inevitable, death
becomes a reality. The Bible says a lot about heaven.
It will be a place without pain and where we can live in the
house of the Lord forever. Coming to the realization of our own mortality is an
essential step in finding peace that only God can give and allows us to live
and be thankful for every day.
Death is one thing, but dying is something else. We do not
know what kind of death we will have; will it be easy- just falling unconscious and never waking
up, or will it be long and painful? It is knowing that when I walk in the shadow of death I
will fear no evil for God is with me. It is knowing that God will never forsake
us and that he will always be there to comfort us, even if our death is
painful. This means we do not need to be afraid to die.
How do we care for those we leave behind? We do it by
feeling free to talk about our death and preparing them for our departure. I
have written a legacy that gives instructions for my funeral and how things
should be handled when I depart. I have prepared an envelope with all the
important documents enclosed. I have turned over the management of the family
investments to our son, and our finances to our daughter. I have placed all
deposits and bills on automatic payments, to make management easier.
It is now early September and I have accomplished my goals.
I feel better than I have for over a year. I have more energy and my build up
of fluids in my abdomen has decreased about 25%. When I ask the nurse why I am
feeling so well she says “I don’t know but enjoy it while it lasts”. I know
what it is that has allowed me these extra days of life. It is prayer because
over 100 people have been praying for me. I am very grateful. I have set two
new goals. The first is to live until our 56th wedding anniversary which is
September 13. The second is to publish our family tree into book form.
Robert Lawrenz
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