1 in 6,000 people will die in their sleep. That’s it! So the question then becomes how will the other 5,999 people die?
A few years ago we gave a presentation on the topic of choices. It was a moving presentation. Our son had just lost his three-year battle with cancer so the feelings were fresh for us and emotions were high. We can’t say that our emotions are any less now than they were then so we’ll see what happens in this article.
This topic came to life again for us this week as we have a couple of staff members whose loved ones are now fighting disease.
Our son is our hero. After his diagnosis he decided to go the medical route of chemotherapy. This decision wasn’t what we had hoped for but we knew it was more important for us to love him and support him whatever direction he chose. You can imagine how difficult it was for us (who teach health) to watch as the nurses, wearing the protective suits, put the chemo drugs into his veins. The discomfort that followed each treatment is almost indescribable not to mention the permanent damage that it did to various parts of his body.
At one point after his cancer came back the first time, he actually embraced the Hallelujah Diet. When he did, his energy returned and he started acting like his normal self again. Then a doctor told him that he shouldn’t drink carrot juice anymore. Before long he slipped back to the Standard American Diet (SAD) way of eating.
Each time the cancer returned he would bravely face the next series of chemo treatments knowing how terrible it would make him feel. In the end the doctors ran out of options and he succumbed to cancer,as do so many these days.
Many people who die of cancer have to stay in hospice for the last few days because the family members aren’t able to keep them comfortable. Here are a couple of things you might not know about their last week in hospice:
- 90.9% are on Narcotic Analgesic for Severe Pain
- 78.6% are on Anti-Vomiting Medications
- 50% have Difficulty Breathing
Death is not a topic typically discussed, but if there is one thing we can be certain of, we will not get out of this life
alive. Except! If Jesus comes!
“Every man must do two things alone; he must do his own believing and his own dying.” Martin Luther (1483-1546)
Death is not what we fear. We know where we are going after we die. But, have you ever thought about the journey that must be made before the Peace of death takes over? For some, the journey is so brief that one may hardly notice it took place. An auto accident can be an instantaneous death.
For others, the days turn into weeks, which turn into months and even years. For them, each moment can feel like an eternity.
Our greatest fear is in the process: How much pain will we have? Will we lose control of our bodily functions? What if our mind is sharp, but we cannot communicate? Will we be a burden to our loved ones?
We always talk about going to heaven. But maybe we need to spend a little more time thinking about how we’re going to get there!
Wouldn’t it be great if we just fell asleep and woke up in the arms of Jesus? No pain, no difficulty in the journey. Just peaceful transcendence.
But remember, the chances of dying in our sleep are only 1 in 6,000.
We would like to introduce you to a couple of our friends:
Bev was diagnosed with cancer in 1978. He was in his mid 60’s then. He changed his diet and lived another 25 years.
Dave (and his wife) own the Florida Hallelujah Acres Lifestyle Center in Florida. Dave was wheelchair bound with multiple sclerosis. After staying faithful to the HD for six months he began to notice some improvement and it took another year before he became free from the wheel chair. He now lives a life of ministering to others.
Graeme was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer and given less than 2 years to live. This happened around the year 2000. His destiny was the same type of horrific death that most cancer victims succumb to. He changed his diet and lifestyle, and today he is vibrant, and doesn’t demonstrate any negative effects of cancer. He is leading a full and productive life pastoring a church.
Each of these people realized that they had a choice in how they would die. They realized that they could either let themselves become another one of the statistics or choose to do something different. They all changed their diets and changed the course of their health.
So the question remains, how will you die?
Shortly before our son passed he penned a journal entry: “People are going to be helped because of my sickness. I know it doesn’t make any sense now, but I know they will.”
Won’t you let Joshua’s death help you make a change today that could impact how you die?
In memory of Joshua Dean. We love you!
