ChasWolf
Well, I had to make a very tough decision yesterday. I had to tell the doctors to stop care for my dad. He has an advanced medical directive, and he wants to go home to see Jesus.

He is laying in a hospital bed - we hope to bring him home in a few days if he lasts that long - having an all-day worship service of his own. He is asking God to welcome him home by the minute. When his eyes focus on my, he asks me to pray that the Lord would take him 'home.'

Wow. Tough stuff. And writing about it is hard, but I feel the need to do so - to help process it. To help put it in perspective. To help me feel it. I'm not so worried about the feeling part - that will happen - but I want to be sure I have grasped the significance of it with the various parts of my mind.

My kids haven't gone to see Papa. That saddens me, because I know they will regret that later in life if he goes before they get to talk with him and tell him the things that might haunt them if left unsaid. My wife hasn't gone either, but she is terribly busy. Too busy.

My sisters - the two remaining alive - are not coming. One was adopted out at birth and only found me about five years ago. I can't get ahold of her to let her know - I will try to call my niece again today to see if she can make the call for me, but I don't know if my sister will come. She has a young baby, is a single mom.

My other sister just doesn't have the cash to travle from Oregon right now. I will offer to buy her a ticket, but I have this nagging feeling that if it was truly about money she would find some way to get here. So I don't know if Papa will be surrounded by those who love him when he leaves this earth, but I do know he will be surrounded by those who are glad to see him as he enters the next.