Caring for a Dying Patient - Episode 153 - Health, Hope & Inspiration : City of Hope®

Caring for a Dying Patient – Episode 153

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Featuring: Rev. Percy McCray and Wayne Shepherd

Published: March 2, 2019

In this episode of Health, Hope & Inspiration, the hosts discuss the topic of death and how to effectively minister to a dying patient and their loved ones. They also address stages of preparation and sharing ways to help family and friends redeem the time with their loved one in a dignified, God-honoring manner.

Show Notes:

Can there be hope in death? While facing death is an inevitability, Rev. Percy McCray believes the process can indeed be a hopeful one, not just for the patient, but for their loved ones as well. He believes that ministers and chaplains should be able to guide families through a process of emotional, relational, spiritual and physical preparation. “Coming to terms with mortality and death and dying can shake one’s emotions. But once cancer patients conclude that their time on Earth is short, we shouldn’t force someone down that road, but we should allow people, hopefully, to be able to naturally transition into it.”

And while death and dying is not a comfortable reality for many, Rev. McCray maintains that the hope we have as believers in Christ sustains us, even in the most difficult experiences. “When we begin to be reinforced with the principles of the word of God and its promises, our hope in the resurrection of the body, that we will see our loved ones who have died in Christ. We will be reunited with them and we will see them again, and we’re going to see them in their glorified state, where there is no more pain, suffering, disease or tears. We’re going to see them in the splendor of the glory of the Lord, and that is worth the price of admission.”

Quotes:

“I want to be clear. The Scriptures don’t say that you do not grieve. It says that you do not grieve like mankind, who have no hope, because for those of us as believers who are connected to the principles and the promises of the word of God, we have a living hope and a living promise in the resurrection of the dead in that those that have gone before us — that we will see them again and we will be reunited with them, and that’s a great thing.”
“I know of no other source, person, organization or industry that gives us promises of not changing, not shifting, not taking back their word. Today God is eternal, and so are His precious promises, and that gives us great hope.”
“When we go to God and we are engaged with Him in relationship, we have access to the very nature of who He is, and because of that fact, there is always hope. We do need to recognize that every person at some point will die and we will experience that, and there is great comfort to be found in our eternal home. Our role is to help people find hope for this life and the next to come.”
“Every day is not on top of the mountain. So, let’s not get in denial. There are days that we have to experience difficult dynamics that we are equipped and prepared by the grace of God and the spirit of God that when that doesn’t go as we thought or as we believed, we have the strength of the Lord to help us work through that, just as we do on the days of “victory and success.””

Resources:

CLICK HERE to download this week’s resource: “Dealing With Grief and Loss”