Dylan

"I have worked in Hospice for around 16 years. There's this moment of realness when people have to confront their mortality.  They have to confront past mistakes and some of the decisions that they've made. They have to confront the life that they've lived. There is a sense of vulnerability and a sense of repentance. I've watched God heal people, relationships, and families. I've served in various capacities through that journey.  It's very powerful and beautiful to see and to be a part of.  I've watched many people surrender to Christ and to His hope and glory.  I've experienced the power of Christ more in Hospice than any other place I've worked.

There's a scripture in Ecclesiastes 3 that says, “A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance.”  I know that it is a very odd thing to say, that we should mourn rather than laugh.  We're told our whole life that laughter is the best medicine. However, through my work in hospice, I've really come to understand the profound significance of that verse.  When we truly mourn and grieve, we understand the power of life, the gift of life.  It really enables us to appreciate the small things in life.  It has really helped change my perspective.  In hospice you see God work in profound ways.

Several years ago, I was in a very dark place. I was working for a company that was acquired by another company.  As a result, I was laid off.  It was a shot to the gut.  It shattered my identity.  I was supposed to be the provider of my family.  I didn't know how to handle it and it put an additional strain and stress on my marriage, which was already falling apart.  Shortly after that, my grandmother passed.  She was the matriarch of the family.  There was anxiety and hopelessness.  It felt like my whole world was crashing down.  I think it's easy, for those of us who have grown up in church, to get comfortable with going through the motions.  I couldn't just go through the motions; I really had to lean into Christ.  I had to lean into His presence.  Once I learned how to do that, it was transformational.  It changed my life.  I experienced freedom and grace on levels that I'd never experienced.  For the first time I really had to press in to His Grace and to His love and Holiness to find the peace that I needed in order to move forward.  Jesus was able to help me get back up and helped me to restore my life and the path that I was walking on.

There is a scripture from Isaiah prophesying the coming of the Christ child.  The people are living in a land of darkness.  There's a deep darkness that has covered the land, but a light is dawning.  I think that's Christ. He is that light that dawns in the midst of our darkness. We all have done things that we're ashamed of.  There's brokenness that we've experienced. It is Christ who shows up in those dark moments, and He casts His light onto us.  By His Grace, Peace, and Holiness it pushes back that darkness.  We are restored and made new.  It’s really a beautiful thing to behold. I give Him all the Glory.  My name is Dylan, I'm human, and I surrender."

Hospice Foundation

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