In the Gap

One of the most important responsibilities that we have is to support those who are facing medical issues and to build up their care givers. Tomorrow we have two close friends who are entering the hospital to receive care. One should recover quite well in a short while; the other may not have the option of recovery. As a couple, we discussed and signed Advance Directives at the same time we made our wills years ago. Logically, my decision makes complete sense for me, but when I saw the Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) bracelet on my aunt's arm, logic went out the window as my heart realized what that meant. Two totally different scales were used to measure the same practice. When one faces critical diagnoses, or the loss of a loved one, it can feel like the ground beneath your feet is not sure. You exist between the gap of reality and the gap of coping; not quite in either realm. I recently read a journal entry of a mother who is living in this gap of Job; trying to wrestle with her own big questions and the "helpful" answers of friends. At the end she concludes:

Interestingly, my bravest friends, be they Christian pastors or confirmed heathens, have tended to explain the least. Instead, they have quietly anointed us with their kindnesses. They have prepared meals for us in the presence of our bitter enemy. They are holding our hands as we walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

How many times do we hear our friends express the fact that they are not sure how they could have endured if not for their church family. How do those without a church family cope?

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, Our hearts pour out for those who are suffering, who are coping with medical concerns, and for those who are providing their care. Often we struggle to find words to express our sorrow; we want to remedy the situation and we feel useless and powerless against such an adversary. How often do we hear it wasn't the words that made the difference, it was the hand being held or the quiet company of coupled souls. O God, while we may experience tribulations and hardships, we know that ultimately we are never alone. Help us to share what we know so well, that you bridge the gap from grief and distress to comfort and peace. Use us to provide a meal, a hand, a quiet presence, a force of continual prayer. Amen.