When the Dams Burst
Read: Psalm 57 In the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. (v. 1) When David wrote these heartfelt words, he was in distress and despair. He was hiding in a cave, fearing for his life. Not long before, he had played music for the king of Israel, […]
House and Home
Read: Psalm 23 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. (vv. 2-3) How would you describe the difference between a “house” and a “home”? One is physical and temporary, made with boards, nails, and concrete. The other is emotive and elusive, harder to describe. Unlike […]
Going Home
Read: Philippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. (v. 20) I was recently visiting with a patient who had endured a long battle with debility, also known as “failure to thrive.” She was living in her daughter’s house and receiving excellent care from her […]
Young Leadership in Uganda
Recently, one of our Ugandan language producers received a phone call from a listener who told him that, while she had been born into a Christian family, her father had left them at an early age. When her mother remarried, the new husband was a Muslim who turned the family toward the Islamic faith. One […]
Weakness and Loss of Control
Read: 2 Corinthians 13:5-10 For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for. (v. 9) I am amazed at the courage of so many people that I serve. Not too long ago I did an initial assessment with a woman who had just been diagnosed with […]
A Real-Time God
Read: Psalm 46 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (v. 1) The goal of hospice is to provide physical and spiritual comfort to people who are dealing with the end of life. Sometimes a combination of family dynamics and physical factors leads to pain that is difficult to alleviate. While […]
Worrying About Those Left Behind
Read: Philippians 4:4-9 The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (vv. 5-6) It was a very emotional scene. A terminally ill father was listening to his daughter give him permission to let go. She reassured […]
Honest Anger
Read: Matthew 27:45-50 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (v. 46) Dementia is one of the cruelest diseases. When someone experiences dementia’s progression, loved ones helplessly watch memory, function, and personality slip away. On […]
Regret
Read: Philippians 3:12-16 . . . forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. (v. 13) Throughout the course of our lives, we tend to accumulate a considerable list of regrets. The end of life often brings them up again, even when we thought we had dealt with them. One man I served […]