The Valley of Death
Meaning in the Valley
For most that are terminal,
the most pressing question
Isn’t when they’ll die or
how painful death will be
Rather, it’s what makes life
meaningful
They are in search of a
meaning that cannot be destroyed by death
The end of Jesus’ life was
full of pain and confinement
It was also full of meaning
And Jesus said
“Follow me”
If you or someone you know
is terminally ill
Your life still has meaning
Don’t give up on making a
difference
“If you are
going to be alive, than live” WMS
Meaning in the Valley
The psychiatrist William
Breitbart lives at the edge of life and death. As chairman of the Department of
Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in
New York, Breitbart specializes in end-of-life care for terminally ill cancer
patients. For many of his patients, the most pressing question isn’t when
they’ll die or how painful death will be. Rather, it’s what makes life
meaningful. They are in search of a meaning that cannot be destroyed by death.
Is there one?
Breitbart has
spent the better part of his career trying to answer that question. His
ground-breaking research shows that while the specter of death often leads
people to conclude that their lives are meaningless, it can also be a catalyst
for them to work out, as they never have before, the meaning of their lives.
When people believe their
lives are meaningful, according
to psychologists, it’s because three
conditions have been satisfied:
They feel their existence is
valued by others;
they are driven by a sense
of purpose, or important life goals;
and they understand their
lives as coherent and integrated.
Psychologists and
philosophers say that the path to meaning lies in connecting and contributing
to something that is bigger than the self, like family, country, or God.
Sandy
and I helped my brother care
for
His terminally ill wife, Judy.
Judy
found herself in bed 24 hours a day
and
only awake for 4 to 7 hours
where
she could talk or watch TV.
She
had one question, a question I had heard many
times
from those in the Valley of Death…
Why
am I here?
When
we are young and healthy this
question
will surface from the back of
our
minds from time to time.
But
the activities of life keep us moving
from
days to weeks and weeks to
months
and even months to years.
Jesus
told people to take up
their
cross daily and follow Him.
Jesus
says it is good to have
a
daily reminder of death.
Changing
our focus from self-centeredness
to
something bigger, something beyond us.
Something
that will last long after our death.
It
is important we see ourselves as living
a
life that is building treasures in heaven.
That
the meaning of life now,
has
meaning for eternity.
It
is also important that we see our lives making
a
difference here on earth long after we are gone.
Jesus
gives us the answer to living
a
meaningful life whether it is in
our
youth or on our death bed.
Jesus
says…
“Follow Me”
Jesus
took up His cross…
He died as He lived.
The
foundation of all Jesus did was Love.
Even
in the end He said…
“Father forgive them for they know not what
they do”.
What
did Jesus do on His death bed?
He
forgave others.
He
gave hope to a dying thief.
He
told His brothers to care for their mother.
He upheld
truth when Pilate who ask what is truth.
He
used what strength He had to finish carrying the cross.
He controlled His frustration with the
accusers.
He
said…
"Father,
if you are willing, take this cup from me;
yet not my will, but yours
be done."
Luke
22:42
If
you are on your death bed look around you…
Who
is sitting with you?
Who
is caring for you?
Love
them.
Use the strength you have to follow Jesus.
Jesus’
life had meaning up to the His last breath.
Our
cross may be confined to a bed,
you may be weak with only a
little
time in a day you are alert.
In
those final days and hours
your
life is speaking volumes.
Just
do what you think Jesus would do.
Reference
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/03/power-of-meaning/518196/
Scripture Reading
Luke
9:23-27 NIV
23
Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny
himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save
his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What
good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very
self? 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be
ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of
the holy angels. 27 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not
taste death before they see the kingdom of God."
