Hitting The Brick Wall

1 Corinthians 15:54-55 – When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (NIV)

While serving as a palliative care volunteer, I spent time with one person who described their experience of learning that they had a terminal illness as being similar to what they might expect to feel had they run headlong into a brick wall. Their plans for the future had been taken away. When they were finally over the initial shock of their diagnosis, they found that they were spending more and more time in their past, remembering happy times, and people who had made a difference in their lives.

As Christians, we too may suffer terrible shock when we first receive a diagnosis of terminal illness. For awhile, we may even feel we've hit the brick wall, and when we finally recover from the initial shock, we too may want to remember special events and people from our past. But we have not lost all the plans for our future. We have a hope. We can plan our move from this earthly home to our heavenly abode, where we will meet loved ones who have gone before us. Better still, we who know Christ as our Saviour can plan to go to meet Him.

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, comfort the people and their loved ones who are facing a terminal illness today. Help them to hold fast to the hope that You have given to those who are Christians. Amen.