Living “Waters” Will

Living “Waters” Will
Dave McGhee – 2/27/2007

A good friend of ours recently had to deal with the pain of having a parent in the situation of needing a living will. While such a document exists, there was contention among the family members about implementing it. Such a time can be extremely stressing on a family. Many issues can be brought to the surface, some old, some new, some unresolved. Issues and emotions can run the gamut; love, suffering, guilt, anger, fear, religion, healing, money and many more. All this can be compounded further by the fact that we humans often assume that others feel the same way as we do.

I began to wonder what instructions I would leave in a living will. Until this point my thoughts have been like many others. I don’t want to suffer if there is no hope. I don’t want my quality of life to be miserable. I don’t want to have a healthy mind trapped in an incapacitated body unable to communicate. I don’t want to be a “vegetable”. I don’t want to be a burden to my family. God wouldn’t want me to suffer like this. What if the doctors are wrong and I could pull through? It’s not right to take a life. I don’t want to die! Too many thoughts to make any sense of!

Then God touched my heart with an idea.

I am a child of God. I am here to serve and glorify the Lord. My Lord is always with me and will not forsake me [Isaiah 41:17]! I know God would not want me to suffer. But I also know He never promised that I would not [2Corinthians 4]. It occurred to me that if my situation can in any way provide a conduit for the grace of His “living waters” [John 4:10, 7:38] to flow and for God’s plan to unfold - that is the road I must take.

In today’s world we are often forced to make snap judgments. Often for no reason other than we are impatient beings. We do not take the time to consider our actions, pray for guidance, or allow God’s plan to unfold.

Given these thoughts and revelations I would have to say that my wishes would be these.

• I would want my family to know the Lord is with me and I will be OK! That tear on my unconscious cheek may well be a tear of joy!
• I would like the decisions that need to be made to be made as a family with the guidance of a Pastoral Counselor*.
• I would want my family to search out God’s will and to look at this time as a time of healing for all. That will may, or may not, include the healing of my body. I know it will include the healing of all our spirits.
• Romans 15:5-6, “5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

While this isn’t enough to constitute a complete living will, I know I would want a living will based on these things. I think the Lord and I have a few more conversations on this subject coming. How about you?


* “Pastoral counselors are trained in both psychology and theology and thus can provide psychological as well as spiritual guidance to patients and families in health care settings.”