Psalm 30
1I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up,
and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
2O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
3O LORD, you brought up my soul from Sheol,
restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.
4Sing praises to the LORD, O you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
5For his anger is but for a moment;
his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
6As for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I shall never be moved.”
7By your favor, O LORD,
you had established me as a strong mountain;
you hid your face;
I was dismayed.
8To you, O LORD, I cried,
and to the LORD I made supplication:
9“What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the Pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me!
O LORD, be my helper!”
11You have turned my mourning into dancing;
you have taken off my sackcloth
and clothed me with joy,
12so that my soul may praise you and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever.
“… 2O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. …”
Deb was a member of the church I served in Wheeling. She was a registered nurse who specialized in hospice care. For a few years, she served as the Parish Nurse in the congregation. I learned much from Deb about ministering to the terminally ill. She reminded me that dying is the ultimate form of healing.
Prior to that time, I anguished over the prayers offered to those who were dying. I prayed for a cure for their disease, illness, or malady anticipating (hoping for) a miraculous recovery. This not only inhibited my ability to care for the person. It also ignored the reality of the situation. When I came to a better understanding of the healing power of death, I became a better caregiver to those who were dying.
The Easter proclamation reminds us that death is not the final word. Instead, new life comes through the grave. No longer do sorrow, suffering, and pain fill our lives. Rather, hope, joy, and light become our companions in the new life given through the resurrection. In other words, as Deb observed, dying is the ultimate form of healing for us all.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the gift of healing and new life that come through death and the resurrection. Amen.