Walking The Beat

HAIR....More or less

"My hair has started coming out...some tears...it's o.k." That was the text message in response to mine, "On way home, how are you?"

Dr. Jim Richards and I were moving up I-35 after two very good Praying and Listening sessions in New Braunfels and Pflugerville. It had been 13 days since Cheryl's first chemo treatment. Her second was today. The medical staff was right on target.

What is this thing with the emotion of losing one's hair? Cheryl sleeps well. That is an answer to prayer. I sometimes wake up at weird hours. The body clock is resisting springing forward. 

I woke up at 2 a.m. this morning, asking that question. My thoughts were drawn to 1 Corinthians 11. Paul speaks of the covering of the woman in the context of prayer and prophecy. "But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory for her;" (1 Cor. 11:15a). Glory in this passage is a reference to dignity, honor. 

We have experienced little of this in comparison to many, but there can be severe and frequent indignities related to cancer. These are some of the hidden sufferings the disease brings.

More and more I am convinced of the truth of Luke 11:11. We are asking for a fish. God will not give a serpent, or a snake. This is a serpent and we are asking God to kill the snake!

Today was chemo treatment #2. Two down, two to go. This is Chemo Day 1 of the second cycle.

We were very blessed in the first cycle. Cheryl did not experience nausea nor pain that required medication, even over-the-counter medication. When she went for chemo today, her blood work was "perfect"! She has experienced fatigue. We are very positive and know the medical team is "treating for cure".

We have been blessed by friends. The fridge is filled with frozen meals to thaw and cook as well as other food that is healthy and helpful. A VERY BIG THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE PROVIDED THIS!!

The support of family and friends is deeply appreciated. Grandchildren as well as children are helping. Today a grandson went to chemo with her and tomorrow the granddaughter is going with Cheryl as she gets her injection. The grandsons in S. Texas call and have sent a wonderful card. She is surrounded by the love and support of family and friends. We are grateful.

Please continue to pray. Pray that God in His mercy will continue to spare Cheryl from nausea often associated with chemo. Pray she will be spared from pain often associated with the injection she receives the day after chemo. Pray for healing. We do believe that to be within God's will and believe this is a detour.

Pray for the grace to accept some of the side effects such as loss of hair. I have said, "You are not your hair." We shall approach the indignity with dignity and complete trust in the Lord.

The church where I am interim is presenting a candidate for pastor. It is time. This will allow more focus in my life. I have a new prayer conference/workshop/seminar called "PrayTheGospel". Please pray God will use that and open whatever opportunity he has at this time, whether that seminar of something else. We are His...confidently!

Thank you for caring and praying! Thank you Steve and Jackie for organizing a 1 p.m. daily prayer time for Cheryl's healing. We are grateful for all of you.

WHAT DID YOU HAVE FOR BREAKFAST?

I sat in a staff meeting today with some fine colleagues discussing how our organization could show its value to others and what we would need to do to really have a compelling place in our world. Of course technology is part of that. One of the older guys, commenting on those who tweet too much, said, "I really don't think the world wants to know what I had for breakfast.

Tonight my wife and I were watching a television program (Touched By An Angel - incomplete theology at best couched in great stories) and I picked up a tweet by another in that same meeting give a sentence about what he was doing. So I immediately hit reply and asked, "What I want to know is what you had for breakfast?"

I forgot that tweet also goes to my Facebook as an update. Thus, for the FB people, there was absolutely no context. 

However, in two hours time there have been 15 comments and the discussion has been fun. One friend commented that it is surprising what people are interested in - the everyday things of life. Indeed.

In a more spiritual moment I would likely ask, "So how does this apply to context in biblical interpretation?"

But I am not feeling too spiritual tonight. In fact, I am feeling pretty well ragged out, out of gas, and dealing with what appears to be disappointment - again.

But wait! Remember that phrase from all the TV infomercials? Yes, wait - here's a two-fer.

In this non-spiritual moment, I am experiencing both disappointment and joy. And, my daily Bible reading plan has me in Job. So I could be a really pitiful sad sack, if you know what I mean. But joy and disappointment? How?

I won't go into the disappointment. You don't need that. But the joy? 

Well, I got on another blog and saw a picture of my grandchild. I held that little fellow just a few days ago. I have beside me the pictures of two more of my grandchildren and a fourth sent me an instant message tonight on FB. The fifth? Well, can't leave him out so I have been thinking of him as well. The joy these little ones have brought to my life is beyond description.

You see, there was a time I realized I was not going to succeed Billy Graham. It was a sobering moment. So in that spurt of growth I asked God: "Lord, I can't do much and I'm not going to have a big following. I will serve you and I ask one thing. Please let me be a successful husband and father." I never thought of grandchildren in those days or I would added that.

So in a world that discards as irrelevant and useless those 60 and over (actually 50 and over in some places), I'm not too worried about it. John Piper is right - retirement is not in the Bible. So I will work my part time gigs and do what I can for the Kingdom of God.

But make no mistake about it. I know who will cry at my funeral. They are the ones who matter, and each of them bring intense joy to me. Thanks, family, for giving me an evening of delight because of a question that wasn't supposed to make it's way to Facebook! 

I love God's "incidentals"! Maybe it is a spiritual moment after all!