I Leave You Joy

Darrell’s Recorded Words to his children after a palliative care meeting - March 26, 2018

“I just want to add a little bit.  My and mom’s relationship with our friends is remarkable and I know you know that.  I can’t believe it.  We are walking through this together.  We walk and share about life, and death, and suffering; and we are not afraid of these conversations.  We don’t run from them.  And, these relationship have just grown.   So many years.   Such amour bearers and confidents …and I can’t believe I have these buddies (names off a slew of men and women).  We are confidants, we share in the pain… I don’t know how to develop a relationship in other way.   I always want to talk about the hard stuff.  It’s what makes people who they are. Talk about the hard stuff!”

“Come on guys, I need you to live.  I need you to live!  Every life who passes on to Glory needs to be a life celebrated, rejoiced over.  If not, something was missing.  You need to enjoy your life, you need to love.  Love your wife, your husband, each other.  Do your passions.  I had mine….

“This is about life not death.  We are not going to let this be about death.  I am here.  I have lived. I have enjoyed people.  I have enjoyed life.  You know that.  We have to be worthy of life,  living it fully engaged… with joy.  I leave you joy!  Live with joy!  Be worthy! … 

“I just can’t believe it. I am feeling this rapturous experience of life inside me at this moment.  It’s beautiful.  That transition before we see each other again will be a blink but until then, I pray the Lord bring my body into the wonders of his Word.”