Lessons for the Living from the Dying

By Lois Rabey and Steve Rabey

The editors of 101 Most Powerful Proverbs in the Bible share the wisdom gleaned from final conversations.
 
Sometimes, the greatest gifts we give are the ones we give at the end. This inspiring, gripping book is packed with end-of-life gifts—words of wisdom and lessons learned from people in their final days. In each chapter, we hear from a hospice worker who has spent hundreds of hours with the dying, listening to their stories, assisting their loved ones, and absorbing the hard, hopeful, and helpful truths about life that become most clear when death is near. In Lessons for the Living from the Dying, these workers pass those truths to us and invite us to live richer, better lives by drawing on the wisdom of those who have journeyed on.
 
Praise for the 101 Most Powerful Series
 
“There is beauty in this series: the beauty of poignant, moving, true stories that illustrate the word of God; and the beauty of superb writing by gifted authors who know how to bring together the word of God and real-life applications that make it come alive.”—David M. Howard, former international director, World Evangelical Fellowship
 
“A thought-provoking series that stirs the mind and emotions.”—Michael Morris, author of A Place Called Wiregrass
 
“The God of the universe daily invites us to connect with him through prayer and the word. The 101 Most Powerful Series inspires us to allow his power to make a difference in our faith that, in turn, will make a difference in our world.”—Sandra P. Aldrich, speaker and coauthor of The Bible Encounters

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Mar 7, 2017
• ISBN: 9781629219837

Book preview

Lessons for the Living from the Dying: Finding Wisdom in Final Conversations

Lessons for the Living from the Dying: Finding Wisdom in Final Conversations

By Lois and Steve Rabey

Introduction: Finding Wisdom in Final Conversations

It was a bright south Florida morning and a happy moment for our family. Lara (my seven-year-old daughter), Lisa (her ten-year-old sister) and I had just presented an early Christmas present to their dad: he and three of his close friends were going on a hot air balloon ride! Jack was thrilled.

Lara and Lisa and I headed out to suburban Ft. Lauderdale and waved goodbye to the four men and their balloon pilot. After the balloon lifted off, we piled into our station wagon so we could follow the billowing balloon as it glided across the sky.

We were laughing and cheering to them even though they couldn’t hear us. It was exciting. It was perfect!

Then we saw the flame.

Talons of fire licked up over the edge of the balloon basket. The men were beating at the fire in a futile attempt to halt its spread. The pilot jumped, followed by one man, and another. I had pushed Lisa and Lara down onto the floor of the car to spare them from seeing the horror unfolding before us.

Jack was the last to jump, then the basket exploded into a fireball. I knew for certain Jack was gone.

Because of his sudden death, Jack and I never had that final conversation people talk about. We had been married a little over 13 years and had kept close accounts on all aspects of our lives. I have no regrets over things being left unsaid.

In the years since then, I have wondered what Jack would think about the many decisions I have had to make, decisions like moving to Colorado, or how to budget finances. His sudden death robbed us of a final chance to talk through a number of what ifs?

That’s not the case with the men and women whose lessons you will read in this book.

An Approaching Appointment

Death inevitably comes for all of us. For some it comes quickly. For others, there are days, weeks or even months to consider and prepare for this final appointment.

When the men and women whose stories are told in the following pages realized their own deaths were rapidly approaching, they talked openly about their lives to hospice workers, sharing nuggets of wisdom they had picked up along the way, or expressing regrets about goals or plans that would never come to be.

These men and women entrusted their stories to hospice workers, who then told these stories to us so we could share them with you. Writing these stories has been sobering and inspiring.

There’s no interrogation technique or truth serum quite like the shadow of death to bring us to their senses, enlighten our experiences, or shock us into realizing that the illusions that have sustained us for so long are crumbling.

We are grateful to the hospice workers who shared