Intensive Care Week

Philip Yancey wrote a few days ago in Christianity Today: he subtitled the piece…  Thoughts while sitting beside my brother as his brain and body failed

My brother’s life did not end this summer, but in one terrifying week of progressive strokes, his brain shut down much of his body. On a Friday, he began experiencing vision problems. The following Monday, he drove himself to the doctor, who sent him in an ambulance to a local hospital. On Tuesday he spoke sometimes clearly and sometimes in gibberish. Wednesday he could walk but lost control over his right hand and arm. By Thursday he could not stand and failed to follow simple commands. An MRI showed significant brain damage.

It somehow struck a chord with me. Since my four month sabbatical started at the end of October last year, three aunts have died, a spiritual “uncle” passed away and a number of friends have died either suddenly or in stressful circumstances.

Read the rest of Philip Yancey’s post here.

The Bible has words of hope and encouragement in such situations…

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have die so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.  For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.  1 Thessalonians 4:13-14