In the midst of our sadness, when we sit beside a dying person, we encourage the person, and ourselves, with the words of hymns and songs that point the way to heaven and the inheritance that we have in the Lord.
Music not only alleviates distress, calming the soul and giving a sense of normalcy [1] but, for the Christian, it also points the way to heaven and, more importantly, to our Saviour.
During the last months of my wife Deborah’s life on earth, a friend sent her a video of him singing and playing on his guitar Guide me, O Great Redeemer. I looked up and observed her mouthing the words of this great hymn of encouragement as she took more steps towards seeing her Lord.
What can we learn from death doulas?
There is increasing interest as to what death doulas (who are also called end-of-life doulas, soul midwives, death coaches, dying …