My dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer on April 6 of this year. He died just 10 days later. In between those two events was a series of lessons I learned from my father that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.
As we drove home from the hospital to begin hospice care at his cabin, dad told me that there were some people he wanted to call. Many of the names I knew, but others I didn’t. It was clear that he wanted to spend his last few days reconnecting with others.
And then he got on the phone. He called former students and fellow coaches. He called neighbors. Dad called people he hadn’t seen in fifty years.
His phone calls consisted of four key types of conversations.
-He told people he loved them.
-He granted forgiveness.
-He asked for forgiveness.
-He told them “thank you.”
Four simple messages he repeated over and over for 10 straight days. These messages brought tears, laughter, relief and goodwill. It brought people together.
My dad left this earth with a full heart and a clear conscience. And what a gift he left to those he encountered over his last 10 days.
I’ve thought about what I witnessed over the past couple of months. It’s shown me the importance of loving, forgiving, repentance and gratitude. And it’s something that we need to do often and intentionally.
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8
What if every day we pledged to try and love the person right in front of us? What if we showed grace, patience and love to all that we met?
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11
My prayer this week is for awareness. I want to express more love. I want to grant more grace. I want the humility to ask for forgiveness more often. And I should seek more opportunities to express gratitude. My dad did a lot of this over 10 days, and I want to use that example to maximize the relationships in my life.
And please let me know how to pray for you. God bless!