Just a few moments before his death, my father looked straight ahead and with a calm voice said to me, 'Almost there!' It has been 20 years since his homeward journey and I have been haunted by those words. What was he seeing that we couldn't see? In my career as a surgeon and a witness for Christ, I have observed many deaths when the last moments were calm and unafraid. Four years as a hospice volunteer brought me even more intimate with those last moments. I think that the valley David wrote of could also represent moments of extreme circumstances in our lives when we are in the Shadow of death: an automobile accident with severe injuries, the sudden loss of a child or spouse, the loss of a career, a consuming fire, a devastating flood, the birth of a stillborn. Do you have the Good Shepherd to guide you through these times? We only have this moment, this breath. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone. Do you have the peace of God that surpasses all understanding? Are you ready to walk through the valleys of your life? Come with me as I walk through the valley of the hospice and witness the grace and comfort that only God can provide for us. Journey with me and meet my Lord. There will be stops along the way as we see how the world deals with the valley. I pray that this book might be a life changing experience for you as we journey to 'Almost there.'
