Journal entry by Loretta Beyer — March 17, 2021

Genesis 2:7: “… the Lord God formed them of the dust of the ground. and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.”

All life from conception to death is precious, because we are created in His image, and He breathed His life into us, as only He has the power to do, and no science has yet been able to replicate.

The sanctity of life, therefore, should be protected at all levels.

In the hospital in Midland, when I was first diagnosed with stage four cancer and told I would be sent home on hospice, it constituted a total shock to my husband, my family, and friends.

Although I had fought my battles about whether to accept chemo or radiation way back two years prior when I had had my hysterectomy in Traverse City, it was still a wakeup call and made me solidify that route for my own personal journey.

Several people offered me liberal advice on their opinions, preferences, warnings, horror stories, scolding, and books on instant cures or new recipes. While I “appreciated” their well-meaning attempts, I found I needed to move forward with confidence in the decisions I had made.

I truly appreciated the strong advocacy of the hospice representative in Midland who encouraged me to follow my heart’s convictions and to whom I would ever be grateful.

We are all terminal in one sense, but should try to live every day like you’re dying. Fill your days with wholesome activities, relationships, choosing whatever exercise you won’t spend your time avoiding, pursue “what floats your boat,” invest in whatever brings you pleasure and a sense of fulfillment at the end to each day, give of your time, self, and resources, adopt a heart of gratitude, and look for ways to bring joy and balance to yourself and others.

Several people have remarked to me such statements as “you are so brave,” “you are showing us how to die well,” “you are such an inspiration.”

While I do appreciate the encouragement, I tend to respond that a “brave person is someone who gets up one more time.”

Someone this morning who has worked with me weekly since this began said he has been watching and he has been so impressed with my process — it has been exceptional.

What an accolade.

I thanked him, and all of you, because it certainly takes a village.

Nelson Mandela penned it this way: “Courage is not the absence of fear but the triumph over it.”

Goff quotes: “Courage is not the absence of fear, it’s just deciding that fear isn’t calling the shots anymore, then acting in spite of it.”

“When the brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened.” — Billy Graham.

While none of that can be true on my own, it is only through God’s supernatural power and peace that any of this is possible — along with all of your tremendous support. Thank you for being such a stalwart village of ours on whom we can depend now and always.

People often vehemently resist the thought of going under hospice care, considering it a final death knell, whereas my family and I have come to gratefully view it as an incredible gift.

With hospice, not only are the financial burdens eased, but every hospice employee, from the top on down, obviously views their job as a ministry, serving and caring for their patients and families as holistic entities, rather than just the isolated symptoms.

We are told that hospice is there to keep you comfortable and hold your hand until God takes your hand and leads you home.

We give Hospice of Michigan the highest possible rating and certainly celebrate their whole organization. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Deuteronomy 33:20: “As your days are, so shall your strength be.”

“Live like you’re dying,” by Tim McGraw is a powerful song about that.

Another piece I highly recommend is by Matthew West: “I see healing beyond belief, when you see too far gone, I see one step away from home.”

John 10:10: “The thief cometh not, but to steal, kill and destroy; I came that they might have life and more abundantly.”

Psalm 116:15: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of one of His saints.”

Hang on to His amazing promises and truths. Whenever fear comes knocking, and with God’s help, try to continue to be the best teacher ever, showing others how to pray for a belief in the miraculous. And also how to lead people on their pathway one day onto the journey into the next world with grace and His faith encompassing and engulfing you every moment of every day.

This column is published posthumously with permission from the family. Missionary kid Loretta Beyer grew up in Zimbabwe. After graduating college in the U.S. with a degree in music and psychology, she joined her parents in Alpena, because of terrorist warfare in her African home. Over the last 40 years, she has made Alpena her place of ministry.