It’s always difficult to say goodbye to a loved one, especially if they know their time is coming to a close. Unfortunately, this sentiment is one that former pastor and Christian author Randy Alcorn had to face with his family. Last week, Alcorn announced that his wife Nanci is nearing the end of her years-long battle against cancer.

In the fall of 2019, just months before the COVID-19 pandemic began, the “Heaven” author announced his he and his wife learned Nanci’s cancer had spread into her lungs. That heartbreaking news came a little more than a year after she was diagnosed with colon cancer in the spring of 2018. Alcorn shared that his wife told him she felt her time on earth was drawing to a close. With that thought in mind, all 11 members of the Alcorn family came together around her hospital bed in their home.

Last Tuesday afternoon, Alcorn thanked all those who took time to pray for him, Nanci, and their family. Alcorn wrote in a blog post, “Honestly, I can’t imagine any family having a more Christ-centered sendoff and short-term goodbye of a loved one than we had yesterday. It was truly all I could’ve hoped for and prayed for. Nanci heard words of deep love and respect from her children and grandchildren, sons-in-law, and husband.”

A timely prayer request: on Saturday my wife Nanci told me she felt she didn’t have much time left in this world. This morning, 11 a.m. PT, my daughters and their families will all gather at our house.

— Randy Alcorn (@randyalcorn) March 21, 2022

According to Alcorn, they spoke for about 20 minutes. He added, “It was Christ-centered and remarkably clear, way longer than any period of time in which she has spoken with clarity since she was in the hospital. I then read powerful segments from her handwritten journals. She was utterly exhausted. So were our daughters, and I felt depleted beyond words.” Alcorn explained some family members were awake early in the morning and started speaking with Nanci around 8:30 a.m. Then, the whole family gathered in their bedroom around 11 a.m. and finished at 8:30 p.m.

Alcorn wrote, “Nanci slept a fair amount of the time after our morning gathering and, at the end, when it was time to pray over her, she was still asleep. But we all laid hands on her, and each member of the family prayed very different and beautiful prayers.”

“The beautiful thing was that all of them had earlier — either in the group of 11 of us or one-by-one coming in to talk to her during the day — crowded into our bedroom and personally shared their love for their Grams and a temporary goodbye followed by eternal reunion,” he added. Saying goodbye to a loved one is never easy, especially when you know the time is coming. However, the beautiful thing about this is the Alcorn family got to say goodbye to Nanci and speak to her while she’s still here.

The other beautiful thing about this is Nanci will go on knowing how much her family loved her. Nanci Alcorn may not have a lot of time left on earth. However, whatever time she has left, she’ll spend it with her loving family, and we should all hope to spend our final moments the same way.