"Glad for Today"

That was the title of our devotional reading at the table today.  It's been amazing how the subject matter during the past several days has seemed to be speaking directly to and designed for me.  This one was based on Psalm 118:24, "This is the day the Lord has made, we will be glad and rejoice in it."  The gist of the message was that by focusing on our hardships and wishing for something better we may be wasting precious moments in life.

The reading went on to say that "during difficult times, we are tempted to become passive while waiting for a storm of life to pass.  But God invites us to actively pursue the opportunities at hand instead of lamenting over what we don't have."

The truth that I gleaned from the reading was that since the Lord has made the day we are in, we can look beyond our immediate circumstances to see the people and opportunities we have previously overlooked.  If we use the time to reach out to others, we'll discover His joy and gladness, even in the midst of the storm.

Great words!

Tears of Joy

Waiting can be one of the hardest things to do.  When there is a problem, we want action to get things moving toward a solution.  Having to wait over two weeks for an appointment with a surgeon, seemed to be excessive.  We shared our concern with our Life Group last Sunday evening and asked them to pray.

The next day I had a couple of tests to determine my physical readiness for surgery.  Meantime, Sherril talked with the admin staff about options to advance the appointment, including seeing a different surgeon.  She was referred to the office manager, who told her that the surgeon was scheduled to be on vacation.  But...he had just cancelled his trip for some reason (we know...Romans 8:28...see sidebar) and would be available for appointments starting next Tuesday!

This brought tears of joy to Sherril as she realized the Lord's kindness in granting our request and, even more, in being assured that He is in this with us.  And for those who were praying, be encouraged, your prayers are being heard!

"God Sightings"

Two weeks ago in my email a "Daily Bible Verse" appeared that was very encouraging. It's in the book of Jeremiah, chapter 29, verse 11.  (I've posted in the right hand column under "Words of Encouragement" because it might be just what someone reading this blog needs to hear.)  I know, someone may say that it was a promise given to Israel in a particular situation.  However, what it reveals is an aspect of God's character, which is unchanging, to love us even though we're unworthy and, I believe, can safely and confidently be applied to "whoever believes in Him".

But that's not all...a week later I received an email from a close friend referring me to the same verse.

But that's not all...that same evening Sherril and I sat down on an extremely rare occasion to watch a movie (my kids won't believe that).  She had waited for months to see Soul Surfer, the story of a young girl who lost her arm in a shark attack.  In the early part of the movie a verse was quoted.  You guessed it:  Jeremiah 29:11.

Well, that's not all...the next morning I decided to turn to that verse in my Bible and try to understand the context a little better.  Tucked into that page was an outline of sermon notes on the entire passage that I had saved from last summer when we visited a church while we were on vacation.

Sherril  would call those "God sightings"...little evidences where we see His orchestration of events that clearly remind us of His loving kindness, active presence in our lives and meeting our needs.

The Adventure

It began on August 26 with a routine physical when a standard chest x-ray unexpectedly showed an "indeterminate" spot on my right lung.  Because there was a possibility it could bean infection or scar tissue from a pneumonia or other illness, we elected to wait a month and do a follow-up x-ray to see if it would show signs of healing or shrinking.  It did not.

We proceeded with scheduling a CT scan, consultations, considering a biopsy and, finally concluding with a PET scan, each step bringing us relentlessly closer to the reality that it could be a malignancy.  Currently, we are waiting to see a thoracic surgeon to plan for a probable resection (medical jargon for surgical removal). 

The waiting periods between events have been a bit of a roller coaster ride...the hardest part: not knowing.  But God has been gracious to provide much encouragement, peace and His assurance that He is with meand that He desires to use this experience to encourage others to trust Him. This is my foremost reason for starting a personal blog of the journey…in itself, a bit of an adventure for me, yet an integral part of the bigger adventure.  

Another reason for this blog is to acknowledge and express gratitude for the many kindnesses Sherril and I have been receiving from our family, friends and even medical staff that we didn’t know.  The constant flow of emails, cards, phone calls and prayers on our behalf has been overwhelming.  Yet, each in its own way has been a messenger the Lord has used to demonstrate His loving kindness. To Christ be the glory!