Death Hits My Family Again

Two months and two days to the day my grandpa died, I was back at another hospice care facility, this time comforting more family as their beloved daughter, sister, mother and grandmother Libby was passing away (I say "family" though we're not blood related our families are multi-generational family friends going back to the 20's and 30's).

I don't remember ever meeting Libby though I'm sure I did. However, we did talk a month and a half ago when she called me out of the blue the day after my grandpa's funeral to talk about and pray for her friend who had died that night.

Right as I walked in all the memories from February came rushing back. And with the memories came the emotions. As I stood in her room praying in a circle with all the family I began to cry as death hit us again.

Not too much in the events surrounding their passing are the same as my grandpa's, except for this: When God wants you dead, you're dead.

Her health was relatively OK until about March 8th. She just got a cold that when coupled with her diabetes led to pneumonia which led to her heart, kidneys, pancreas and lungs just shutting down.

By the time I got there yesterday afternoon, she was barely breathing and totally unresponsive. As to her condition, the doctors were surprised she made it through the night and sadly I just got off the phone with my auntie telling me she had passed away a few minutes ago.

The critical question: Was she a Christian? I don't know. When I found out she was in her last moments I rushed out to Garden Grove yesterday with the hope of talking with her about her afterlife. However, I may have been there to minister to the family more than to her.

I did get a chance to whisper the gospel in her hear and then to beg her to repent of her sins and trust Christ alone for her salvation. I'm convinced that people in that state can hear, but I don't have any scientific proof for that.

From here, the family has a very difficult road ahead. Her kids are in the midst of a Gordian Knot kind of family feud that will be or is currently in the courts.

While I'd ask you to pray for me as I may be doing another funeral this week, this family needs a lot of prayer as the decisions they make from here may totally tear them apart for good.

It seems I will also be consulted about the feud as well as the funeral. What am I going to do? I have no idea! I feel totally unprepared for this, and just pray I won't do anything to tarnish the name of Christ, let alone being a light in the midst of all this.