May 2005 Pohick Post, From the Assistant

I am re-visiting an article I submitted last year.
In light of recent events withTerri Schiavo, the Pope, and
now my Dad, I thought this would be a timely article.

Do You Have A Will?
Advanced Health Care Directives?
Durable Medical Power of Attorney for Health Care?

This may seem like an odd subject to be bringing up in the midst of Pohick’s stewardship campaign, but this is a most appropriate subject. We are not only granted by our Creator “dominion over the fish of the sea and, over the birds of the air...and over everything that moves upon the earth (Genesis 1:28),” but since we are created in the image of God we are to honor the treasures of “our selves, our souls and our bodies to be a reasonable, holy and living sacrifice unto God (BCP, p.336).” In other words, we are not only to be stewards of the bounties of the good earth but good stewards of our time, treasure, and talent now, and make provision for what might be left over after we die.

Having a will may seem like a standard document to have on hand, but how many of us have one, and does it truly reflect your current state of affairs? To answer these questions may force us to look at what we do have, and even more basic is the fact, we have to face our own mortality.

Living Wills or Health Care Advanced Directives, both terms refer to guidance you can give to your family and physician about how you want to be treated in the event you are not capable or able to make medical decisions for yourself. I found this guidance very helpful when my mother was terminally ill and unable to make treatment decisions. In an act of great love, she had spelled out for her family how she wanted her last days on this earth to be spent. That document was truly a blessing. This proved true last week with my Dad, for he, too, had been so kind and gracious to help us make one of the toughest decisions a family has to make.

I strongly encourage you to exam the issues raised in this brief article, and if you are over eighteen, to let people know your wishes. One website, and there are many, is http://familydoctor.org/handouts/003html. Other organizations such as The American Medical Association, the American Association for Retired People also have information on these matters. You can always just “Google”, and look for Advanced Directives.

And, more importantly, to think of wills and advanced directives as another means of being good stewards over the gift of life our Creator has bestowed upon us.