Not a Reason to Celebrate

(This is to address the story of the women who is choosing to end her life before she begins to suffer from her terminal brain tumor. As well as those who are choosing to celebrate, condone, and are calling her decision courageous. If you haven’t seen the media piece on it here is a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPfe3rCcUeQ )

I have seen a lot of activity on my news feed, from family, friends, and news-sources about a recently married women named Brittany Maynard.  She was given a terminal diagnosis from a brain tumor this past New Years Day. Originally she was given three to ten years to live, but after further scans it was found that it was a stage four and rapidly progressing tumor.  She was then told of all the things that she would have to go through. She didn't want to suffer those things. So her and her husband moved from California to Oregon so that she would be a citizen of a death-by-dignity state. She wanted to have the choice to end her life on her own terms.

Let me first off say this: Best wishes to her and her family above all else, it’s not an easy place to be in life and very few will truly be able to understand it. I don’t judge her; I don’t know her, she could be a great person, and I am sure that she is. What I do judge, is her act, and her act is suicide. It is the very definition of suicide, as Webster’s Dictionary puts it: To take one’s own life. Suicide is wrong, not matter what, no matter how, in every way, even in extreme suffering. I can attest to this first hand.

I have been told that I was terminal twice. I have been told by a highly successful surgeon that I was inoperable and that no other surgeon would touch me. The mortality rate of the surgery was 90%. I have gone through horrible things. I have itched so bad that I have torn chunks of flesh from my hands and feet. I have had one of my lungs nearly collapsed because the space around it was filling with fluid. I have had my body break itself down to the point of unending pain. And those are only a few things. However what I didn't do EVER, was give up.

Giving into fear and uncertainty is not the way of Christ. He taught us to have faith, so I did. I forced myself, even in the darkest of hours to smile, and to be patient. I learned to understand that everybody has a trial, no matter how big or small, and that I couldn't use mine as a crutch or an excuse. I pushed myself to limits that I didn't know I had and I was stretched beyond my comfort and learned more for it. I became a stronger person because of it. I endured. I still endure.

To celebrate what she plans to do cheapen my own, and many others sufferings and triumphs over certain death. What she is doing is not courageous, it is weak and it is below her. I hear many people stating: We end our pet’s life before they go through extreme suffering. Why shouldn't we be able to choose that? Are you equating yourself with a dog? It makes sense that people would think that, with so many intellectuals saying that we do things because it is our primal nature. I believe that we are higher functioning than dogs. I believe that unlike dogs that are suffering and can’t grasp why, we can find understanding in it. Not only can we find understanding in it, but others can find understanding in it.

I think that many are celebrating her because our media glorifies suicide. They report that the person is: finally free, that they won’t have to suffer anymore, they are in a better place. Maybe we should talk about suicide for what it is, murder, the deprivation of life, and the stolen memories from the loved ones family. Then, and only then we might understand how un-glorious it really is. We are all in her shoes, we all have a death sentence, but this doesn't mean we should all give up.

I don’t pretend to be an expert on what Brittany is going to have to go through, no one is, except for our Savior, but what I do know is that refusing to try at all is unacceptable. The hardest things in life are truly the most teachable moments. Through the pain and suffering we change people. Through our attitude during that suffering we change people. I know that through my trials many people were changed for the good. Even then, if I only changed one person, me, it was worth it.

I pray for you Brittany that you can find the strength to learn what you can truly handle, not what you think you can handle. Even if you pass away it will show all those around how far they can be bent as well. I pray that you find comfort in knowing that Christ has already suffered for what you have, and what you will go through. He understands to exactness what you will experience and because of that he can comfort you in exactly the way that you need it. You say that you want to live life to its fullest and seize the day; that is a great motto. But by seizing the day you risk losing forever. If you feel that this is the best and only way then so be it, but I cannot celebrate that. I will not celebrate that. I hope that we can all agree to pray for her comfort, but not for her choice.