Is it possible to bless others in our dying?
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:16
Author God,
I was recently reminded how crucial it is
to prayerfully consider now
how we might approach suffering
at the end of our lives.
To my sorrowful surprise,
in a novel I recently read,
an aging couple—
a husband with dementia,
and a wife with cancer—
chose to end their lives
rather than face the hard days of dying with disease.
In our day, we should not be surprised about this plot line.
Indeed, the “Medical Assistance in Dying” act in Canada and other countries,
along with physician-assisted suicide
are becoming more common.
Father, help us to think now about “a good death.”
Help us to ask,
as one theologian suggests,
“How can I live now
so that when I die
my death is an optimal blessing
to my family, my friends,
the church, and the world?”*
Help us to consider whether we can trust you in our dying,
in the time when we may become passive and helpless,
unable to control our bodies, our minds, our pain.
Indeed, you have shown us the way through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who, though he was “oppressed and afflicted,” “opened not his mouth.”
Yes, he agonized in the garden,
pleading with you to take the cup of suffering.
And yet, he submitted to your wisdom and sovereign plan,
saying, “Yet not my will but thine be done” (Luke 22:42).
Lord, help us to pray through this,
to discuss this with wise friends and family,
so that if you allow us to suffer at the end of our lives,
we are willing to endure, trusting your plan.
Help us to consider how our approach to death may impact others —
that we may point to our hope of glory in our final days.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Attributed to Henri Nouwen.
Read Psalm 139; Luke 22:39-46; Isaiah 53.
