I've been contemplating a lot of things lately. How life throws us curveballs when we aren't looking. How things are constantly changing. How problems can become all-consuming, interrupting our lives and making the important suddenly seem trivial.
Last week, on Friday, Jim and I were talking about the things we need to get done around the house and yard before we can head south for the winter. We have quite a list. And then the phone rang. And life, and priorities changed in an instant. Our son-in-law, Gary, learned that he had a tumor in his bladder and a non-invasive surgical procedure was scheduled for Monday. Monday, we spent the morning praying and texting to follow Gary's progress. He went in to surgery around noon. At 2:17 pm we got the text from our granddaughter. Cancer. We knew we needed to be there, so we threw a change of clothes in a bag and were on the road in a half hour. Several texts came in as we drove the 375 miles to be with our family. The tumor was large and blocking one kidney. A second procedure the next day put a stent into the kidney and bladder. Gary is a trooper. We walked with him, pushing along his wheeled stand with IV and carrying other paraphernalia ten loops of the halls, twice a day. On Wednesday, we took him home. On Thursday he talked to the doctor. The news wasn't good. The cancer was deeper than they'd hoped and there were numerous small tumors. They would have to remove his bladder and prostate and lymph nodes. Then probably chemotherapy and possibly radiation treatments.
Gary is healthy, and he'll get the best of care in Seattle through UW. With God's help, and a million prayers from family and friends and friends of friends, he will beat this thing.
A devotion shared by a friend at a writers retreat this summer made an impact on me. I was reminded of it again today. She was talking about grief. The grief of losing her husband. But this fits any tough situation that we face. *See Sandy's entire post here: http://graceforagrievingheart.com/pick-up-your-socks/
Years ago, Sandy heard Gloria Gaither tell this story.
“When I was a little girl,” Gloria said, “I used to ask my mom, ‘what is God’s will for my life?’” She wanted a lofty answer, full of wisdom.
Her mother would invariably reply, “Pick up your socks.” Not expecting such a mundane answer, she would restate the question. “No, mom, what is God’s will for my future?”
“If you don’t know His will for your future, you need to find His will for your life a day at a time. Pick up your socks.”
That's great advice. Jesus told us not to worry about the future. Take care of the present. Put one foot in front of the other and do what needs doing. Pick up your socks.
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