Cancel the Funeral!
Something powerful happened!
As a hospital chaplain, I’m often called into situations that either appear bleak or are about to become unavoidably mournful. Someone is either really sick and getting worse, has just received a nasty diagnosis, is near death — or has just passed away.
The reality is: death and chaplaincy ministry often intersect, and the emotional collision can be rough on both family and chaplain.
Chaplains realize that callous mortality and compassionate ministry must hold hands and walk down a path of sudden grief and sorrow.
Every once in a blue moon, however, what one expects will happen, in fact, does not.
Life, at its core, is unpredictable.
Who knows what a day will bring and what a difference a day will make?
Life is full of mysteries and questions
Why does death, for instance, when it comes calling, sometimes seem to give up and choose to wait for another time and day to rob one of their heartbeat — and life? Why does the Grim Reaper sometimes sow patience??
I was recently called to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to visit a family that had requested my presence and prayers. Their loved one was mere steps away from entering eternity, and the members of the family appeared to be in full funeral-prep mode. They were already referring to the patient in the past-tense.
Faces were downcast; tears crawling down some, cascading down others.
I was informed by an ICU nurse that the patient likely had “one to two days left.” The situation was undoubtedly dire. I knew how such situations almost always end.
Death
Little-to-no wiggle room for hope, and lots of space for birthing a giant-sized heartache.
When my eyes first caught sight of the patient, all I could see was a slumped human being kept alive by tubes, monitors and medicine. The expectation and stench of certain death (and an impending funeral) looked like a done deal.
I’ve seen and smelled it many times. Any talk of recovery would sound ridiculous and ignorant of medical and physical realities. Chaplaincy 101: Never give the family false hope! Multiple and serious health issues rendered the anatomy of the person in the ICU bed, a house of cards more-than-ready to collapse.
Oftentimes when a patient is in such a state, their sense of hearing hangs on and remains the last gasp of life they have left.
Hoping this was still the case for the dying individual before me, I got up close and began to lift what was left of them towards the throne of God’s grace.
As long as a patient is still alive — even if they’re just minutes from death — prayer on their behalf is never in vain.
I proceeded to pray the “sinner’s prayer” into the eardrum of the shallow breathing and lifeless looking person just inches from me. If they didn’t know Jesus as their Saviour, they would have one last “eleventh hour” opportunity to accept Christ in their heart. I know God is that gracious!
Faith, the apostle Paul said, “comes from hearing” (Romans 10:17).
I did not and would not pray for a miracle. I didn’t expect one.
Shame on me
I said goodbye to the family and assured them of my continued prayers. A day later, the whole front foyer of the hospital was taken over by family and friends of the patient. At least twenty people converged on the ICU to say their goodbyes. Not exactly a funeral, but close enough and almost there.
Then the unthinkable (and equally unexpected) occurred.
The following day I spotted the son of the dying patient in the hall. He turned to me and struggled to describe what was happening.
“My dad… he came out of it. He’s alive. He’s in a hospital bed, alert and talking. His vitals have balanced and it looks like he’s going to bounce back one more time.
No one can believe it. It looked like this was the end of the road. And another thing, when you were praying for my father, his heart rate began to fluctuate and then rise. I figured that meant something.”
Honestly, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing
“Thank you so much for your prayers,” the son uttered with an understandable exuberance.
The wife of the patient suddenly appeared. “Chaplain! I guess that prayer was heard!!”
Yup… and then some, I thought to myself.
Another thought occurred to me: I didn’t pray for the patient to get better. I expected death. A funeral.
So what happened?
I’ve been doing chaplaincy and pastoral ministry for a long time. This kind of thing just doesn’t happen; and if it does, it’s very, very rare. When I met the fellow I prayed for, I could’ve swore he was Lazarus fresh from death’s abode.
I’m no Jesus, but I do know Him and I should’ve realized that He has postponed many a funeral, just as He will raise many a person back to life.
Jesus — the death denier and graverobber!
One thing is very obvious whenever we read the gospels: Jesus not only made eternal life possible, He made life, in general, very interesting. There was never a dull moment when the Son of God was around.
Walk on water? No problem.
Calm a storm? Easy!
Evict a demon from its human occupation? Done.
Raise the dead? Yawn.
Back to life
On one occasion, Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus back to life. With three of His disciples as well as the young girl’s parents in-tow, the Lord went to work doing what He does best: resurrecting people and cancelling funerals!
“He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old)” (Mark 5:41–42).
James writes in his New Testament epistle, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).
Truthfully, I do not feel very righteous at times
I’m prone to doubting whether my prayers carry a lot of power and effectiveness. I am no Elijah either, who could stop and start rain with his prayers! I can’t raise the dead. I have never knowingly healed anyone.
As a chaplain, I am just one who can offer a prayer “in faith,” hoping that that will make a “sick person well,” or give a dying person a final chance at landing on heaven’s safe and happy shore (James 5:15).
Perhaps when I was praying for the patient in the ICU, I should’ve expected more than death.
I should’ve believed that God, in the Person of Christ, can cancel any funeral He so wills…
To Him be glory, honour and praise!
This story is published in Koinonia — stories to encourage, entertain, and empower you in your faith, food, fitness, family and fun.
