Is old age a punishment? and if so, wouldn't it make more sense to either let the aged have the choice of living an easier life but shorter or a longer life but less easy? Please keep in mind that this is only a question, and a thought.
Proverbs 20:29 - The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.
Old age is a wonderful thing and as I get older I appreciate everything much more than I did in my youth. I like seeing my hairs go gray (even though age-wise...I'm not even in the middle yet) and some of the best spiritual mentors I've had in my life were over the age of 65.
I was recently in a situation where this was brought up. My Mom died a few weeks ago. us ten siblings took turns in pairs each day to be with her in the hospital during visiting hours to care for her in ways the staff usually does not. We feed her and kept her company, etc. for the two weeks she was hospitalized before she died. On the first Monday of her hospitalization, my oldest sister, who was the power of attorney, said after we to get her to eat some food, "You know, the more we feed her the longer she lives."
Another time she said something to me about euthanizing her so she could not suffer. Int he end, she was still breathing on her own but was clearly dying. She was on oxygen and given morphine for that time when the doctors determined that her death was eminent. My sister, who was the power of attorney was there during her last hour. She took the oxygen off of her event though she was breathing on her own still. And then soon after that she stopped breathing.
My sister had the approach you suggested about offering an old person a shorter life to avoid suffering. I do not subscribe to this thinking. I think that God is the determiner of when we take our last breath and our heart beats its last beat, not us. believe that as long as one is alive (not through CPR or life support machines) we treat a person to uphold life, not death. I believe that one should take actions that alleviate one's suffering but not precipitate nor hasten death. End of life situations can be tricky due to modern medicine. My Mom had a living will that included her wishes for her end of life. She never said she wanted to be euthanized as she has always been against that due to her faith.
I wish I had Scriptures handy right now to give to you, but none come to mind right now. I just believe that the beginning of a life and the ending of a life are within the right of God and not man, and that we are to be for life, not death.
Thank you for sharing those sad last moments with your Mother, GiGi. And I was particularly moved by the decision of your sister to remove the oxygen supply from her. I'm sure that would have been a very, very difficult moment for you & others there.
My Father was in a similar situation when he was by his wife's side at hospital as she was in her final moments in her cancer-riddled body. I was at school doing revision for upcoming exams, when at 3:15 pm, I felt something lift off me & I then gazed out of the class window. Fortunately, my teacher didn't chide me for losing my focus. I didn't know what happened, just had that strange lightness & release. Dad met me when I arrived home later & told me that Mom had gone & later shared that at around 3 pm, she was very weak, incoherent & with very laboured breathing. He could have disconnected her tube, but he just took hold of her, kissed her, & prayed to our Merciful Father to take her Home. With that, she stopped breathing - she was only 40 yrs old.
I just share that because we can trust the Lord to deal with the terminally ill & also with loved ones, in a way beyond our knowledge & feelings. He does all things well & how much more when a soul is at the entrance to eternity. Even as David acknowledged, "My times are in thy hand" ( Psalm 31:15); he knew full well, whether through illness or the onslaught of the enemy (as the Psalm suggests), God is the One in control & He will give or take away according to His Will.
Is old age a punishment? Or should one be allowed to elect death instead of enduring extended suffering? Now, I'm in that old-age bracket; life has slowed down some, few more aches, pains & stiffness, but I don't regard it as punishment, but to use our days to give thanks to the Lord for His Goodness, to live for Him, to be a witness to the 'younger' ones of God's Faithfulness, that this life is passing, yet it's a time to be ready for an eternity with the Lord, Who has given us His all for us.
I was not there when she passed. I would not have agreed to remove oxygen because it probably only spared her an hour or so. I would rather that God decide her time, and in the meantime, I would continue to give oxygen or fluids or whatever she would allow until God chooses her last breath, etc. So I am glad I was not there. That would have been very disturbing to me. I am pro-life which means that I would never take an action to shorten or end someone's life either in the womb or at any other stage of life. My Mom did not want to have CPR or be on a life support machine. I agree with that. I don't want that either. If I am gone, I'm gone. Let me be. I would be going to be with Jesus. But, others may feel differently and I can respect that. My dad was 62 when he had his first and only heart attack. He was put on life support machines, but was determined to be brain dead soon after. He died before the night was over, so we did not have to decide to remove the life support from him, which was the plan for the next day. God took him in His time. I would have wanted that for my Mom as well. When we were called to the hospital, the Dr. said it may take about 12 hours for her to die. She was still alive 20 hours later. But was very near death.
Thank you for sharing about your Mom. So sad to die so young. God helped you to prepare for the news your Dad was to bring you.
Thanks for correcting me, GiGi. I somehow thought that you & maybe a couple of other family members were around her when your sister, being the eldest, made that decision to disconnect. I agree with you, that I too couldn't do it - we may have a few regrets in life that we carry in our hearts & have to live with, but that's one that would be too painful for me. Blessings.
Yes, Chris, especially that we do need to stand before God and give an account to Him. My two sisters who were my Mom's power of attorneys are not believers. They made many decisions that, although my Mom was to die of sepsis in God's will, hastened her death. They have to stand be fore God and give an account and, not being under the blood of Christ, will be found to be guilty. I pray for them to repent and turn to the Lord. They are 70 and 69
Thanks GiGi. I feel the heaviness on your heart concerning your sisters & the decision they took. The Lord is merciful - He understands - He will judge righteously.
Proverbs 20:29 - The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.
Old age is a wonderful thing and as I get older I appreciate everything much more than I did in my youth. I like seeing my hairs go gray (even though age-wise...I'm not even in the middle yet) and some of the best spiritual mentors I've had in my life were over the age of 65.
Promise Ephesians 6:1-3, Psalms 103:5,
Hopefully these are helpful
I was recently in a situation where this was brought up. My Mom died a few weeks ago. us ten siblings took turns in pairs each day to be with her in the hospital during visiting hours to care for her in ways the staff usually does not. We feed her and kept her company, etc. for the two weeks she was hospitalized before she died. On the first Monday of her hospitalization, my oldest sister, who was the power of attorney, said after we to get her to eat some food, "You know, the more we feed her the longer she lives."
Another time she said something to me about euthanizing her so she could not suffer. Int he end, she was still breathing on her own but was clearly dying. She was on oxygen and given morphine for that time when the doctors determined that her death was eminent. My sister, who was the power of attorney was there during her last hour. She took the oxygen off of her event though she was breathing on her own still. And then soon after that she stopped breathing.
My sister had the approach you suggested about offering an old person a shorter life to avoid suffering. I do not subscribe to this thinking. I think that God is the determiner of when we take our last breath and our heart beats its last beat, not us. believe that as long as one is alive (not through CPR or life support machines) we treat a person to uphold life, not death. I believe that one should take actions that alleviate one's suffering but not precipitate nor hasten death. End of life situations can be tricky due to modern medicine. My Mom had a living will that included her wishes for her end of life. She never said she wanted to be euthanized as she has always been against that due to her faith.
I wish I had Scriptures handy right now to give to you, but none come to mind right now. I just believe that the beginning of a life and the ending of a life are within the right of God and not man, and that we are to be for life, not death.
My Father was in a similar situation when he was by his wife's side at hospital as she was in her final moments in her cancer-riddled body. I was at school doing revision for upcoming exams, when at 3:15 pm, I felt something lift off me & I then gazed out of the class window. Fortunately, my teacher didn't chide me for losing my focus. I didn't know what happened, just had that strange lightness & release. Dad met me when I arrived home later & told me that Mom had gone & later shared that at around 3 pm, she was very weak, incoherent & with very laboured breathing. He could have disconnected her tube, but he just took hold of her, kissed her, & prayed to our Merciful Father to take her Home. With that, she stopped breathing - she was only 40 yrs old.
I just share that because we can trust the Lord to deal with the terminally ill & also with loved ones, in a way beyond our knowledge & feelings. He does all things well & how much more when a soul is at the entrance to eternity. Even as David acknowledged, "My times are in thy hand" ( Psalm 31:15); he knew full well, whether through illness or the onslaught of the enemy (as the Psalm suggests), God is the One in control & He will give or take away according to His Will.
Is old age a punishment? Or should one be allowed to elect death instead of enduring extended suffering? Now, I'm in that old-age bracket; life has slowed down some, few more aches, pains & stiffness, but I don't regard it as punishment, but to use our days to give thanks to the Lord for His Goodness, to live for Him, to be a witness to the 'younger' ones of God's Faithfulness, that this life is passing, yet it's a time to be ready for an eternity with the Lord, Who has given us His all for us.
I was not there when she passed. I would not have agreed to remove oxygen because it probably only spared her an hour or so. I would rather that God decide her time, and in the meantime, I would continue to give oxygen or fluids or whatever she would allow until God chooses her last breath, etc. So I am glad I was not there. That would have been very disturbing to me. I am pro-life which means that I would never take an action to shorten or end someone's life either in the womb or at any other stage of life. My Mom did not want to have CPR or be on a life support machine. I agree with that. I don't want that either. If I am gone, I'm gone. Let me be. I would be going to be with Jesus. But, others may feel differently and I can respect that. My dad was 62 when he had his first and only heart attack. He was put on life support machines, but was determined to be brain dead soon after. He died before the night was over, so we did not have to decide to remove the life support from him, which was the plan for the next day. God took him in His time. I would have wanted that for my Mom as well. When we were called to the hospital, the Dr. said it may take about 12 hours for her to die. She was still alive 20 hours later. But was very near death.
Thank you for sharing about your Mom. So sad to die so young. God helped you to prepare for the news your Dad was to bring you.
Thank you
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