July 14, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Friday, July 14.
Do you know the name Cicely Saunders? She was born in England in 1918. During World War II she became a nurse, and then later a doctor. Her work put her into contact with many terminally ill patients, some of whom were her own loved ones. As a result of her experiences, and her personal grief, she developed a new type of care for those facing their final days, a system that we now know as hospice.
Hospice is so ingrained in our culture today, that we are surprised to realize that, not too long ago, the terminally ill, and their unique needs, were largely ignored by the medical system. Doctors, and society in general, were uncomfortable talking about and dealing with the dying. Cicely Saunders saw a better way. She saw the need for better management of pain, and the treatment, not only of the body during the final days, but also the mind and the spirit.
Dr. Saunders was a very spiritual person, a devout Christian. In her difficult, uphill battle to establish this new standard of care, she took inspiration from her favorite scripture verse - Psalm 37:5. "Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass".
Cicely Saunders died, of cancer, in 2005, at the age of 87. She was under hospice care.
Meet you back here on Monday,
Bro. David
dmathis@fbccenter.org
