Pray for Joe and Mary Jane

Please pray for my friends Joe and Mary Jane. Joe is dying of cancer and today came under the care of the loving local service of hospice.

Last night Mary Jane called and asked me to spend the night with her. Joe had suddenly worsened; the doctor came to their house and said his body was starting to shut down.

MT and I stayed at their house until this afternoon. (We know each other from our Friday Renovare Group.) We were there when the hospice nurse arrived, followed by the hospital bed and oxygen. The instructions and example given by the nurse were extremely helpful. By the early afternoon, it was comforting to see that Joe was much more comfortable.

I was blessed to be there, especially when I read and prayed a meditation from David Adams' Border Lands: The Best of David Adams' Celtic Vision, with my two friends and later with Joe. He echoed some of the lines of a repetitive Celtic prayer. He agreed that God was there. I felt that to be true.

Although Joe is sleeping a great deal and eating very little, except for applesauce with ground medicine in it, he is aware for brief intervals. When he heard that his children were coming, he said, "Wonderful." Two arrived today, and the last comes tomorrow.

Hospice is so good.