At the memorial service for our former pastor this week, one of his fellow-chaplains explained how he faced his terminal illness. Each Thursday he visited patients in the ICU unit of our local hospital. The critically ill could talk with him, because he knew what they faced. Some got better, some didn’t, but as a way to contribute to others, our former pastor served out of his weakness until a short time before his death.
While our former pastor served others in patience, Job seeks to hasten his death. His grief so overwhelms him, in chapter three he curses his birth. Like the Blessing, words uttered in the Curse take on a life of their own. Because he believes his words will cause God to end his suffering in the peace of death, he curses his life. He doesn’t die, of course. Instead he learns valuable lessons about living life in the midst of loss, injustice, and mortality.
How do I deal with my mortality? I’m writing a book. In the later stage of life myself, I want to leave a legacy for hurting people from God’s word to Job: practical, helpful, and hopeful.
How are you dealing with your mortality?
