A life or death decision . . .

This morning I had the opportunity to console and pray with a mom whose 51 year old son is in a medically induced coma. The medical staff and her son’s siblings have advised the mom to “pull the plug” on her son because the situation is so grave. An automobile accident some thirty plus years ago, which killed two of his friends, left him in a wheel chair with no spleen and the need for kidney dialysis. Over the years he has been close to death four times because of infections and pneumonia. Such is the case now.

The weightiness of having his power of attorney and, thus, the final responsibility is overwhelming for her. Too often, when we are viewing from the outside, we see situations like this from our perspective only. Such thoughts as: “I wouldn’t want to suffer like that, just let him go” or “he will be much better off with Jesus” miss the point. What about the agony of the one on whom the decision rests?

As I sat across from this woman this morning my heart ached for her. She was wrestling with the guilt of letting her son suffer and the fear of “playing God” if she agreed to remove life support. Fortunately, Jesus is her Lord and she is resting by faith on Him and is trying her best to allow Him to lead her and guide her. How much worse it would be to go through something like this without Jesus Christ holding you up!

Over the years I have learned that there are situations when I am asked for counsel where I have no answers. This is one of those. I could not make the decision for her but I could listen to her and we spent time in prayer asking God to intercede and make clear His will. After we prayed it was interesting to see how prayer had lifted her spirits. This again reminded me that it is not about me and what I can do to help someone; it is all about God, seeking His face, and allowing Him to minister His grace.

As I left her home I was reminded of the passage in 1 Corinthians 10:13 where Paul writes: “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” I had just left the presence of a godly woman who God knew was able to handle a situation that was far beyond my capabilities to handle.

Thank you Lord for your faithfulness and your love. May your grace and love surround this dear woman as she waits on you. Please work through this situation to bring glory to yourself. Amen!