Randolph Strom had been married to Katrina almost twice as long as I'd been alive. One day he asked me, "Pastor, what do you think? Should I continue to stay in our home after Katrina is no longer with me?"

I was certainly the youngest, the least experienced, and the least intimately involved in the difficult choices confronting him as he faced the imminent death of his beloved Katrina.

Why was he asking me?

Well, I was his pastor. Maturing adults sometimes have great difficulty discussing such issues with their children, and vice-versa. So much is at stake-roles, emotions, finances. Yet often they turn to their pastor for objective advice.

I don't see myself as an answer man. Nor do I relish being cast in the role of arbiter in another's domestic decision. Like it or not, though, I find decisions about life transitions are often run by me for my guidance, direction, or blessing.

Pitfalls in the process

Giving counsel can be hazardous. Life-passage decisions often are interwoven with sadness, ...