Things I Should Have Said More Clearly But Didn't

 In looking over the responses to last night's blog (The October Surprise) we are humbled and deeply grateful. Thank you for caring and praying. At the same time, I sense there are some things I probably should have made clearer than they were:

1. I am super sensitive about not sending unwanted email. We recognize that you may choose to stay in touch in other ways, and your comment that you are praying will not automatically add you to the email list.

2. Relying on Facebook for updates will not be effective. In an effort to manage communication as simply and securely as possible, we don't plan to post regular updates on Facebook. Those will come through the email list I mentioned. If you want to receive those, please ask.

3. Commenting directly on the blog rather than Facebook is good, but please identify who you are; otherwise we won't know.

Finally for those of you who half a lifetime ago (that's your life, not mine) were part of one of my writing or speech classes, let this post come as a gentle reminder of what I told you often, and what you have no doubt discovered to be true: The day will come when nobody cares what grade you got in my class, but they will always care how effectively you communicate!

😀😀😀😀😀

 

The October Detour

The October detour started with a full body itch and jaundice. Less than a month later, Valerie had a diagnosis of bile duct cancer. In between were more medical tests, appointments, and procedures than anyone should try cramming into a couple of weeks along with introductions to three new doctors, all of it happening at a mind-numbing pace. We find ourselves once again in the midst of a new unplanned and unexpected adventure, occasionally (and I suppose unnecessarily) wondering what the Lord who loves us has in mind.  

Valerie, who has a lifetime of experience following the Lord into the unknown, has a deep peace and confidence that God knows what He is doing in these current circumstances; So do I, but of the two of us, I’m the one more likely to have questions for the Almighty. It’s not that I don’t know the right answers; I do, and I’ve shared them with many others. In the last few weeks multiple friends have started dealing with fresh cancer diagnoses. When it comes to things like cancer, I recognize the tension that can exist between what is known and what is sometimes felt, and that tension has had me thinking lately about the theme of this blog.

What does it mean to talk about discovering joy in the midst of a cancer diagnosis? In the wake of Joan’s diagnosis over twenty years ago, a basic biblical truth impressed me more clearly and deeply than it ever had before. I think it is one of the simplest and most important things I have ever learned. All God ever gives us is one day at a time, and every one of those days has been recorded by God before even the first one came to be. He is a present tense God, and each new day comes as a gift with an invitation to walk with Him through it. 

I don’t know why the Lord surprises us with sudden detours, but asking why is almost always the wrong question. Advent will look a bit different this year, punctuated with fifteen radiation treatments and likely followed by oral chemotherapy. We are on a journey these days rich with opportunities to experience God more deeply and intimately than we otherwise would, and to do so one day at a time as long as He gives us days.

A P.S. for those who want to stay in touch: We’ll be sending occasional email prayer updates on how Valerie is doing. If you want to receive those, all we need is a current email address. The most efficient way to contact us is email or phone/text to either of us or commenting directly on the blog. My presence on Facebook is infrequent and irregular, and Valerie no longer uses that platform at all. 😀

A Better Mousetrap?

According to the old saying, the world will beat a path to your door if you build a better mousetrap. In my more idle moments I've wondered why a mousetrap? Is the world really that desperate to undo what Noah did when he let those two rodents on the ark? Why not something more obviously wanted by a world waiting for greatness? Enough people thought electric vehicles were a good idea that an unlikely South African named Elon made a fortune building ugly cars.

 

These thoughts resurfaced a few days ago when my wife asked why the car heater was making a funny noise. I turned the fan higher and the noise got louder, and when I turned it all the way up, it make enough noise to make we wonder if the car was about to breath its last. So I turned off the fan and mentally rearranged the rest of the day so we could find out what was going on.

We dropped the car off to be checked out. When we got it back two or three hours later, the diagnosis was clear, complete with a picture: 

    Confirmed customer concern.

    Removed blower motor and found a deceased rodent

    Removed and disinfected entire heating box.

    Operating normally at this time.

I am no longer waiting for the world to beat a path to my door. Apparently I had a better mousetrap all along. Admittedly it was, like Elon's cars, significantly more expensive than the alternatives, but it was highly effective.

I'm sure there must be a lesson here somewhere, but I'm not sure just what it is. I have, wisely I think, purchased cheaper traps. There doesn't seem to be much sense in questioning why God created rodents and Noah welcomed them onto the ark (which fortunately, as far as we know, didn't have a blower motor). However, I can still find joy even in this set of circumstances. Just picturing that little critter spinning around in that fan makes the rest of life's problems seem a bit lighter, and, perhaps perversely, brings a smile to my face. 😀