A woman is dying. Her family is struggling. The fact that they have never been involved with a church is catching up with them. They say they trust God, but have never made a commitment or gone further than believing. Now, N is dying and they don't have a church or pastor to turn to for help and support. I was called because they have relatives who are members here. Since I'm leaving town tomorrow, I am unable to do the service.
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Their grief is compounded by their fear that they will get a generic minister who doesn't know N. They've been to funerals where the minister couldn't even pronounce the deceased individual's name correctly. They don't want that for N. Unfortunately, it is a little late to establish a relationship with a church and a pastor. Once N is dead and buried, they'll forget the need-- until the next time a family member faces death.
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I visited with them the other day, and what I saw was a family struggling with issues of life and death with no faith to anchor them or support them in the midst of their sorrow. They were hurting, as are all grieving families. Their grief, though, was much worse than it needed to be. I am grateful I have my faith, not only when I face death, but as I deal with the daily challenges of balancing work and parenting. I'm glad that I live with the hope that comes from trusting God and claiming Christ as my Savior.
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