No, I’m not being morbid and I am not talking about myself today; that is the name of an amazing
book by Karen Whitley Bell. I have been
doing some research to finish up a writing project and had been looking for
resources on hospice. The local library
ordered this book for me, and I think it is an amazing handbook…and if you are
in ministry or care about people, you probably ought to read it too.
I have always been a big fan of looking up stuff, of trying
to be prepared, and as I read this book, I thought of all of my ministry
friends. In the last thirty years of working with college kids and their
families, we have faced all kinds of challenges, things like overcoming grief, eating
disorders, physical and sexual abuse, and the tragedy of broken families. But honestly, I have not been all that intimately and physically closely
involved with the care of a loved one dying.
And I am not sure the church is all that involved with the
care-giving required. The Bible does say
that we are to love one another, that we are to care for the fatherless and
widows, and minister to the hurting.
This book – Living at the End of Life is phenomenal, as far as a tool or
resource useful to help those facing terminal illnesses. Written by a hospice nurse, the book is
written as though she were talking to you and is filled not only with both question/answer
sections but illustrated with real life examples of people dealing with end of
life issues. She writes like a good friend.
For one thing, this book takes the fear out of accessing hospice
services. Secondly, it helps caregivers access
amazing resources and find appropriate care, both for the patient and the
caregiver. Too often, I think, people suffer in silence, when they
should at least have our company to help bear their burdens. And we do not do what we fear or what we do not know about.
So enough of this for today….I think there is more to be
said and a very personal application of these thoughts, but that will come
tomorrow.
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