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Dear God, I want to talk a little about end of life stuff. Through my job yesterday, I came across a woman who is terminally ill. I don’t think she understood the gravity of her situation. She just came in with a couple of diagnoses, either one of which would be a terminal situation, but combined make it nearly impossible to treat. It was hard.

How will I respond when I have to face that conversation for myself or my wife? I think I know how I’d like to respond, but that’s all intellectual. It’s not emotional. I’m going to die one day. So will she. When that day comes, what will my heart reveal about what I really believe about you, life, death, and eternity?

There’s another woman I know with a very serious, likely terminal diagnosis. She is handling it like I would hope I would. She is older—80+. She has had a full life. When she got the news from the doctor, she took it in stride. Yes, there might be some emotions she’s denying through pure will of her intellect, but she is at least coming at it from what I consider to be the right perspective.

Father, I hope I was okay yesterday. I do pray for the woman and her daughter who were in my office and the staff that helped me talk to her as well. Make their path straight. Make this pain count. Don’t let one teardrop be wasted. Give them comfort. Give them peace. Draw them to yourself. Hold them close. Be their Prince of Peace.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen