When it’s Time for Hospice

April 18 2012

As loved ones reach the end of life there comes a time where man’s science can no longer save them. However, they may need more or different care than we can provide on our own. At such a moment we enter the world of hospice.

My first real-world introduction to hospice came when my grandmother passed away several years ago.The comfort and assistance that our whole family received at that time made a big hospice believer out of me.

Hospice treatment involves an entire team of medical, mental health, spiritual, and social work professionals. All hospice team members have received specific training in end of life issues. Of particular interest to Christians is the presence of a chaplain on many hospice teams.

The term “hospice” comes from the Latin word hospitium, meaning “guest house.” St. Christopher’s the first modern hospice was founded outside London by Dr. Cicely Saunders in the 1960’s. The first hospice in the United States was founded in New Haven, Connecticut in 1974. There are now over 4,700 hospice “agencies” across the country. In 2007 they cared for over 1.4 million people and their families.

When is it time for hospice? In most cases hospice agencies will not accept a patient until there is a diagnosis that the patient has less than a year to live. Hospice becomes an option when death is inevitable, but life is not yet over.

One interesting facet about hospice care is that hospice teams care for the families as well as the patient. Many agencies even extend these services beyond the time of the patient’s passing.

Even though hospice has been in this country for over 35 years many people are still unaware of it as an option. Many also fear that the cost of hospice will be out of their reach at a time when a family’s finances are already stretched especially thin. The good news is that hospice care is rarely more and often less expensive than end of life care would otherwise be. This, in part, is because hospice agencies are often non-profit and make use of volunteer professionals. Hospice professionals have expertise in end of life care that can make their services less expensive than you might think.

Another misconception is that because hospice cannot provide a cure, nothing else can be done. This is not the case. Hospice teams are experts at palliative care. Both pain and nutrition, for example, can be managed to make the patient’s last days as comfortable as possible. A big concern is that families will have to change physicians to enter hospice. This also is untrue. Many, if not most, hospice agencies will work with the physician of choice.

Hospice is a method of treatment, not a place. In fact, hospice or palliative care is delivered in a wide variety of settings. Hospice teams work in hospitals, nursing homes and dedicated facilities. Many patients receive care in their own homes where they are surrounded by their families and familiar settings.

Where do we find hospice? Your physician may be a good place to start. If your loved one is hospitalized, they may have a social worker who can refer you to a local agency. As in all times of difficulty, don’t be afraid to ask your pastor. Pastors by nature of their calling keep up with resources in the community. As our society ages, things like hospice are becoming a lot more common.

When someone you love is near death, hospice can ease the transition. More communities are finding themselves home to hospice agencies.

Rev. Robert A. Crutchfield is the founding pastor of Compassion Church of Katy and is a Fire and EMS Chaplain. Visit http://faithinspires.wordpress.com to learn more or call 281-660-4294.

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When Illness Strikes

October 13 2011

Illness can strike any us or our loved ones without warning and wreak life-altering havoc in our lives. So what guidance does the Bible give us in times such as these?

Let’s first look at James 5:14. “Is there any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” Prayer and anointing may seem like simple steps, but they can have powerful effect on illness that even modern medicine can’t explain. I remember a time when a pastor was waiting with a member of his congregation who needed to see a doctor. This pastor noticed that while they were waiting the man’s eyes had turned yellow. The pastor approached the desk and impressed on the doctor’s staff how urgent it was that the man be seen. He was, in fact, very ill, was rushed to the hospital, and his wife was called to his bedside. All the usual tests were run. The pastor anointed him with oil and activated the prayer chains. About three or four that morning the man’s wife was told he would not live to see breakfast. Yet this same man who as a medical certainty was quickly dying, ate lunch in his own house the same day. He went on to live much longer!

If illness strikes and becomes serious do not hesitate to call upon your pastor and other elders of the church. They are available for that purpose. Don’t discount the value of a close friend who is a committed Christian, either. God puts a variety of people in our path in times of need. The greater the need, the more we need to pay attention, keeping on the lookout for His provision.

No matter if you are the one who is ill or the one who is ministering to a sick loved one, keeping your spirits up can be very important. So important, in fact, that many hospitals have chapels, chaplains and meditation gardens to aid in this aspect of recovery. Many of the newer, more modern hospitals have emotional support factored into their architecture. The Bible speaks of the importance of this in Proverbs 18:14 “ The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity: but a wounded spirit who can bear?”

I recall another case in my previous community. An older lady was in the hospital with what we now call COPD. She wasn’t dying during this particular trip to the hospital, but she would be dying soon, and everybody knew it! Taking care not to intrude, I asked the family if she would like me to pay her a visit. The most theologically difficult thing I did the whole visit was move the tissue box closer so she could reach it. We talked about her favorite subject, namely, her kids and grandkids. She repeatedly remarked how much she hated hospitals and complained that she could never sleep in a hospital. I knew it was time to take my leave when she fell asleep! Just my Christian presence and companionship was enough comfort to allow her to do the one thing she was complaining she couldn’t do.

I often hear pastors comment about the difficulties in getting congregation members to help make hospital visits. People are afraid they won’t know what to say. The truth is in most cases, what you say doesn’t matter nearly as much as your presence. Being there can be just the right medicine. Compassion doesn’t require an advanced degree in theology, just a caring heart !

Like all circumstances involving crisis, we can look to scripture for words of comfort. Take, for instance, the words of Romans 8:18. “For I reckon the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to the Glory which shall be revealed in us . . . ” The Bible promises us that our struggles are temporary. God will best them for us, either in this life or in the next everlasting one.

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Unemployment and Christians

August 17 2011

The Katy Area has certainly seen its share of jobs being lost over the last year or so ! As a bi-vocational minister I have seen many sides of this issue myself. I support my family and my ministries through my work in the secular world. I have been unemployed, and I can tell you first hand that being out of work is a very bad experience. But in our imperfect man made world things happen. So what do we as Christians do when confronted by such a struggle ?

First off being unemployed is an emotional mess. There will be times of grief, discouragement, frustration and more. When the struggle gets tough you will do well to find comfort in verses such as Psalms 50:15 “Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver me, and thou shalt glorify me !”

Or focus on the promise made to you in Psalms 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

Once your emotional and spiritual house is in order there are many practical things that you can do to ease your way through. One of the best is to build a strong support network. This is best done before you find yourself looking for work. Two of the best places to start are your spouse ( if married) and your pastor. I once knew a pastor who was president of his local chamber of commerce, twice ! Almost any pastor has some involvement in the business world. It is not at all unusual for local businesspeople needing to hire to ask their pastor if he knows anyone they could recommend. Of course your pastor will also being very willing to pray for you. Pastors also tend to be great listeners. Sometimes it helps just to vent, and kinda get things off your chest. Think also of people at your church who are in the same, or a complimentary field. Are you still in touch with any of your old instructors from school ? Perhaps they have heard of something.

One of the biggest parts of being unemployed is dealing with the financial aspect of things. Even unemployment typically only pays 2/3rds of what you were getting so chances are you will need to get by on a lot less than you were used too. Consider the words of Hebrews 13:5 “ Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have….” When times are good its easy to take money, and the things we can acquire with it for granted. If you are fortunate enough it may seem as if the money will never run out. However when you are without work there never seems to be enough money. Even the act of looking for a job costs some money. Gas, child care copying resumes, postage etc. all add up. So you have to factor these new expenses into your already tight budget. You’ll have to make some really tough decisions between what you need to have, and what you love to have. It’s one of those moments when you have to focus on what is truly important to you.

When unemployed it becomes easy to want to avoid people. Fight this urge ! This is one of those times when fellowship, especially with other Christians will be the most valuable. Your church next to your family be your best base of support. Volunteering some of your new found extra time to the church may teach you new skills. You may get to know fellow members of your congregation you never really got to know before. Beyond that staying active in your church keeps you “out there.”  When you are looking for work you want to be VISIBLE not INVISIBLE ! What better place to stay out front than with your Christian brothers and sisters who share the same world view that you have. Many churches are also launching programs directed toward empowering the unemployed. You may miss out on such opportunities if you are not around !

As I have said before I have been unemployed myself. I have to tell you it’s the least favorite job I have ever had. Make no mistake   looking for work is a full time job, and should not be treated any differently than any other job. Unemployment is also the time to embrace your faith, and everything it has to offer. May God grant his favored opportunity to each of our commuity’s unemployed residents. Amen !

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God Works Through His People

June 14 2011

One of my favorite parables goes something like the following: “There came a time when a flood was approaching a certain area. Firefighters were sent out house to house to warn everyone to evacuate. They came across this one old man who looked at them and said, ‘God will  provide I’ll be all right. ‘The flood waters started to rise, and men in boats were sent out to rescue the stragglers. The came upon the same old man who assured them ‘God will protect me, I’ll be fine right here.’. The waters continued to rise and the man was by this time on his roof. A helicopter was sent around to rescue survivors. The old man once again refused help saying. ‘God will keep me safe, don’t worry about me.’ The waters rose, and rose, and the man drowned. He got to heaven and came before God himself. Somewhat confused and disappointed he looked at God, and said ‘What happened I thought you were looking after me and would protect me.?’ God looked back at him and in his booming voice said ‘You idiot, who do you think sent the firefighters, the boat, and the helicopter.’”

People too often get distracted waiting for the “ parting of the red sea,” and miss the small every day miracles happening all around us. People also fail to realize that one of the greatest provisions God makes for filling our needs is each other. This is one of the great values in marriage for instance. Its much like what I said on Facebook recently, “ When you bring a matter to God’s attention, don’t be surprised if HIS answer is YOU !”

I’ve even seen the same thing in my own ministry. I’ve been active in ministry on the internet since 1998, so my email is accessible to many people I don’t know. Years ago out of the blue I got an email from a teenage boy. He wrote to me about how depressed he felt, and how as a Christian he had even prayed about it but nothing seemed to be changing. I had nothing but an email so I was forced to depend on God to be able to reach this young man. The second I turned this matter over to God, four or five lines flashed into my head. I wrote these words into an email to my new correspondent. Early next day the young man wrote back. He said he knew he would be ok now, because just to read MY words he was healed. Now you are reading this in a magazine so obviously I have a bit of a reputation for putting one word in front of another. However I am the first to admit that I’m not THAT good, not by myself. I have always pointed to this as a clear example of God working through me and my gifts he has given me to make a positive impact one somebody’s life.

It is because God has sent us out to care for each other that we are all given different gifts. Our heavenly father arranged things this way so that whatever we needed would be close at hand in the form of somebody. Of course this means that when we are in the midst of crisis we need to be even more open than usual to the actions of the people around us. People trying to help us, may actually be God trying to help us through them.

God cares more about the struggles in our life than you will ever imagine. In fact scripture tells us he even knows the count of the hairs on our heads !  The word also tells us that God gave man dominion over the earth.

Given that idea, how hard is it to believe that God would expect us to help one another through him ? Not very I think.

So remember when life is getting tough, and you really could use Devine help look around . Keep your eyes, ears, and heart open. Its altogether possible God has provided the solution in the form of the people around you. You might not ordinarily think of the people around you as even being up to the task. But with God they are !

Rev. Robert A. Crutchfield is an ordained minister based in Katy. He is an emergency services chaplain who has served with the Katy Fire Department among other agencies. He continues in that role even today. He is also involved in organizing Compassion Church of Katy, a new church that he will serve as pastor. For more information visit www.compassionchurchkaty.org, or contact Rev. Crutchfield at chaplain@christ4responders.org.

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Storms of Life

October 12 2010

Last time we talked about how God never promised us life in this world would be easy. But in our journey to understand and survive the “Storms of Life” we do wonder, If God loves us so much why do bad things happen ? The root of the question has to do with the fact that there are no perfect people in this life.

Consider for a moment the words of Ecclesiastes 7:20 (NIV) “There is not a righteous man on Earth, who does right and does not sin.” Jesus Christ is the only perfect man to ever walk the Earth. This is a major part of what made him the suitable sacrifice for our sins. Now look at how the same thought is expressed in Romans 3:23 “ For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” What happens is all of us depart from God’s perfect plan, to some degree from time to time. When we depart from God’s plan unintended consequences often occur.

Does this means that the bad things that happen to us are our own fault ? No not necessarily. What is important for us to understand is we are imperfect people trying to make our way through an imperfect world. If anything its amazing that the Storms of Life don’t cross our paths more often ! A parent who’s grown child is killed by a drunk driver has suffered a horrible tragedy ! Almost certainly it did not happen by way of anything they did or didn’t do. The child who died likely was just minding their own business. Its unfortunate that the deceased had to cross paths with someone who was not doing as they should. Many of the struggles we face could well be the result of the imperfect action or inaction of the other people we share this world with. However more often than not, bad things happen because one or more people were less than perfect.

But even in the darkest hours of our lives God is wonderful ! He is wonderful because he makes provision for us to be comforted in our struggles. Listen to what 2 Corinthians 1:4 has to say to us on this “ He helps us in all our troubles, so that we are able to help others, who have all kinds of troubles, using the same help we ourselves have received from God.”

As you can see, in the process of guiding us through our own struggles God molds us into a better version of ourselves. This “new version” is not only good enough to get us through what we are facing at the moment, but to allow us to show others down the same path in the future. In many cases the best drug and alcohol counselors are those who have beaten those same addictions themselves. No matter what the subject you gain a powerful level of creditably when you can sit across from someone and look them in the eye and say “I know this works because I did what you need to do, what I am telling you is the way I did it.”

Our think about a single mother. Who better to navigate a single mother through the special challenges of that situation than someone who has made that same journey. One of the big things they are working on in relationship ministry are so called “Mentor couples.” Mentor couples are those who have been married for at least a specified amount of time ( usually at least 2 or 3 years) who serve not just as teachers but literally mentors to couples newer in their relationship. Sometimes this process begins even before the marriage of the younger couple. As anyone who has been married knows, a successful marriage will not be without its struggles. One aspect of this is in marriage you become responsible for other people. Obviously we must actively care for our spouse and their needs, but marriage also often includes children, aging parents etc. Who better to teach a young couple how to manage all the conflicting priorities that come with building a strong Christian marriage than those who have proven that they have ?

So always remember, when the Storms of Life arrive. God will comfort you and guide you through them. Not only that, but if you allow him God will help your struggles blossom into blessings for those around you !

Robert A. Crutchfield is an ordained bi-vocational minister. He is founder of Chief Chaplain of Christ 4 Responders, a Katy based ministry to firefighters, police and EMS. He holds the Certified Chaplain Designation from the International Federation of Christian Chaplains. He serves locally as Chaplain of the Katy Fire & EMS Department. He also serve as Crisis Response Officer and member of the Board of Directors of Chaplain Fellowship Chaplains Corps. You can contact him at chaplain@christ4responders.org

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Storms of Life

August 04 2010

Way back in 1970 Lynn Anderson made famous a song by Joe South called I NEVER PROMISED YOU A ROSE GARDEN. When I was preparing to write this column God brought this song to my attention, and I can see why. When I hear people talk, sometimes I can hear God humming that tune in the back of his head. You see God never promised us life in this world would be easy. I fear pop culture has led us to believe otherwise. We are bombarded daily by commercial after commercial that  life should be good, after all we deserve it ! Our own government trots out programs to provide for this, and provide for that. Everywhere around us are voices telling us that life should be easy, and effortless !

But, what does God tell us through his word ?  Take JOB 14: 1 “We are all born weak and helpless. All lead the same short, troubled life.” This translation comes from the GOOD NEWS BIBLE. I chose it because says very clearly, in today’s language that life was always going to have its struggles. The book of Job is one of the best books of the Bible to illustrate this. As you probably remember Job was a faithful servant of God. Yet he was beset with problem after problem. Read his full story sometime. I guarantee you Job’s case would drive a modern day social worker out of the business for good.

So all is lost ? We should just give up ? Not hardly ! Because even though God did not promise us that life in this world would be easy, he did make us some very important promises. Consider with me the words of John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (KJV) In this verse scripture gives us both points I want to make, first that life in this mortal world was always going to have its difficulties, second that God will be there to see us through our troubles. In fact when we travel through the “storms of life” with God we often exit them better and stronger than ever before ! We see this aspect clearly in Romans 5:3 “ We also boast of our troubles, because we know trouble produces endurance.” (GNB) Let’s face it we live in an imperfect world. Stuff is going to happen. Can we not however find comfort in the idea that each trial we go through, equips us to better handle the trials that lay in the future ? I believe we can !

When we are in the midst of a situation it can seem like things will go on as they are forever. Fortunately this is never the case. One of the most important things to remember when our life is getting difficult is to remember how temporary our struggles are. One of the greatest challenges of surviving our struggles is reminding ourselves that we can and will feel happy again. We find this in JOB 11:16 “ For thou shalt forget thy misery: Thou shalt remember it as waters washed away.” (ASV) Isn’t that a wonderful thought !  Can you imagine sitting next to a river, the soft sound of the bubbling water washing away every care you have in the world. This is what God has promised. That you will journey through problems brought on by this world. You can and will reach a place of peace !

Our biggest mistake would be in not turning to God when times get tough. Our heavenly father is the one who will guide us and give us the comfort that we need. Look at JOB 29:25 “ I took charge and made the decisions; I led them as a King leads his troops, and gave them comfort in their despair. “ (GNB) When life gets hard it can be as if we are driving through a forest, in the dark of night with no headlights.

Aren’t you glad we have someone to guide us when things are so bad we can’t see ? I know that I am !

So when life gets tough remind yourself of the things we talked about. Remind yourself that the most together looking person in the world goes through hard times. Remind yourself that this is just a temporary part of the journey we call life. Most importantly of all remind yourself that you have God on your side. That he will see you through, and that you will be stronger for it ?

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