Still Under "Construction"

On the gravestone of Ruth Graham, Billy Graham's deceased wife, is the epitaph, "End of Construction, thanks for your patience." I love the humour and perspective in that statement. And it reminds me that, for those of us still walking on terra firma, God is still at work on his goal of helping followers of Jesus to become more and more like Him every day. In other words, we are still under construction.

As the Good Book says, "I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again." Growth, change, improvement all seem to be associated more with youth or middle age, but to be a life-long learner and open to the Divine Contractor is a daily choice I still need to make after 69 years of life. And the choice implies an inquiring heart and mind regarding what still needs work in my life so I remain a cooperative participant in the renovation project of my life.

One of the growing areas of my life these days is how to converse with God about suffering, whether my own or that experienced by others. Of course we simply want it removed, but when one views it as one of the construction materials, it changes the conversation. I'm somewhat humiliated to see how often in my prayers there has been the presumption that I know what is best and basically ask God to implement it--on His timeline, of course.

I'm learning to pray with a clearer idea of the difference between God's role and mine in this adventure of living, and to find language that replaces my arrogance with the complete trust in God's master craftmanship and His complete goodness both to me and for me. And there is still a place for request in all this. Since I don't have God's view of things, I simply request what I would appreciate, but then submit to His will--not unlike Jesus' example before His crucifixion when He requested that "cup" to be taken from Him, but then submitted Himself to the will of his Father in Heaven. I love the creativity involved in learning about this kind of conversation with my Heavenly Father.

On a less lofty note, but of equal joy to Carol and me, was the arrival of our daughter Barb this morning. She's spending a week with us, and she breathes vibrant life into ours whenever we're with her.

Bob, for your regular reporter Carol

Encouraging days

This week Bob has experienced a dramatic decrease in back pain, and hasn’t even taken any pain medication since Wednesday evening. We are SO thankful!! This has been so encouraging to us and to his doctors. At the same time however, his hemoglobin dropped quite low so he received a couple of pints of blood last evening when he was on dialysis. There was also some question as to whether he would be able to get his chemo this morning because his platelets also dropped very low.

However he just phoned me from the Cancer Clinic to say that his platelets more than doubled since Tuesday so he’s getting his chemo right now!! We wondered whether receiving a blood transfusion would elevate the platelets but were told it wouldn’t affect the count. In any case, they have risen dramatically!! We have yet to know what Bob's "tumour markers" are and will report that when we find out.

Although Bob has both cancer and kidney failure, you’d never know it to look at him. He looks so healthy and even younger than his 69 years!! Here he is last Sunday on our patio, waiting for the steaks to finish grilling on the barbecue!!

This weekend KIM is competing in a Horse Show in Moose Jaw with her horse Peanut. She’s so excited to be “back in the saddle”!! This picture was taken a couple of months ago when she was patiently waiting for the day she could ride Peanut again. And Tim is back working part-time for a seed farmer near Lumsden. So life is somewhat back to normal for them. We are all so grateful.

This week we’ve received news of a number of deaths of friends and challenging health problems many are facing. It all puts our difficulties in perspective and reminds us that none of us knows what a day might bring. What a comfort it is to know that “the Lord is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble”. We have experienced His presence and help in abundance and know this to be true!!

There's a "Welcome" here!!

We are so excited about "welcoming" all of our kids and grandkids here this summer--and friends who are so welcome to drop by for a visit!! With our tiny condo, our space is expanded in the summer months out onto the patio. We anticipate many hours of conversation, laughter, eating, reading, and relaxing together.

BOB has had a much better week since his last chemo and he now has a week off before resuming chemo next Friday. He's enjoyed increased energy and decreased pain, for which we are SO thankful. So instead of heading off for chemo today, we're going to have a date in Vancouver--dinner and the theatre!! Thanks so much for your love and prayers for us and our family.

KIM's enjoying having her energy back and has resumed her busy life as a wife, mother, and horsewoman--while getting a special drug called Herceptin intravenously every three weeks until Christmas. Her hair's growing back nicely and by summer she should have a cute "pixie" style hairdo.

My brother JIM is also increasing in strength and has begun to work again from his home. His condition will be monitored closely with frequent CT scans and everything looks clear to date.

"Great Is Thy Faithfulness" is one of our favourite hymns and we are experiencing the reality of one of the phrases--"strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow"!!!

One down and many more to go!

Bob had his first chemo treatment last Friday and didn't experience any negative side-effects until Monday. Extreme tiredness, increased back and stomach pain, and constipation made him very uncomfortable until today!! Just today he's had significant relief in all of those areas, so he's gone off to dialysis without the dread of sitting in a recliner and unable to move for over four hours while in a lot of pain.

Bob's sister Vi flew here from Edmonton on Sunday and spent two wonderful days with us. Thankfully Bob was feeling fairly well when she arrived and we were all able to enjoy lots of good conversation, tasty food, and Vi got some much-needed rest. She and I also had two delightful walks on the promenade and pier at the beach.

Vi and I went with Bob to dialysis on Tuesday evening, just before I drove her to the airport. Bob was in quite a bit of pain then, but managed to smile for this picture with his sis!!

And tomorrow morning Bob will have chemo once again--this time only one drug instead of two. We're hoping and praying that this time it will be easier on him. We have a number of involvements in the next couple of weeks and so want to be well enough to be able to participate.

After a few months without pain, we're learning once again the reality that these times of weakness are reminders of our dependence on the Lord who promises that "His power is made perfect in weakness". And although we're very consciously living one day at a time, we have so much to look forward to. Barbie's flying out here at the end of the month for a week and both David and Tim and their families will be coming this summer. What a joyful prospect!!