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The Gifts of Dying
by Pam Petersen
 | | Pam and her Dad |
"...this fullness of experience is so necessary to our souls that perpetual springtime is not allowed."
C.S. Lewis
The seventh anniversary of my dad's death just passed in January. He had terminal cancer and died one week after his 63rd birthday. It's a tricky thing writing about some else's death and the lessons learned from it. Sympathy can only take you so far down the road; holding a hand, praying, sitting through chemo day after day, monitoring medication, laughing and crying are about as close as a person can get without experiencing it. It was after all, ultimately my dad's journey with God. But God, in His mercy, allowed me the privilege of experiencing my own journey along side my dad and I am grateful that I had eyes to see, ears to hear and hands to hold the gifts God had for me.
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Pastoral Care for the Seriously Ill and Dying
 | | Just one week after her 93rd birthday, Della is with her Lord! |
Presbyterian pastor Smith's ninety-one-year-old widowed father was living alone in the house he and his wife occupied most of their married life when a stroke sent him to the hospital. The pastor drove hundreds of miles to be with him and meet with his own siblings and their families about care for their father upon his release. The discussions were fraught with anxieties about where their father would get proper care and needed assistance, and maintain as much of his independence as possible. It was clear that, although he was recovering well, he could no longer live alone. Family members were overwhelmed with conflicting feelings about their love for their father, their obligations to him, and resistance to the interruption that his needs imposed on their lives and schedules. Read more.
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PPL recommends. . .
Awake, Arise by Martha Leatherman, posted on Presbyterians Pro-Life Blog
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