Wednesday, January 3, 2018

54 TIME FLIES WHEN YOU’RE HAVING FUN (BEGUN NEW YEAR’S EVE)

This is the time of year when we tend to look back on the previous year at what we did or did not accomplish, reevaluate and make plans for trying again the following year.  Growing up, I often heard, “Time flies when you’re having fun.”  Well that’s not exactly how I would describe this past year, though it seems to have flown by.  It was a year ago January 13th that I woke up from surgery #2 in the ICU unable to move anything on my left side. Two days before, I had walked a mile with Sophie and rode my bike 5 miles.  Now it takes several minutes sometimes to get from the front door of the house to the car which sits right in front of the house.  However, I can get there.  So many other people did not see the beautiful sky that I did today, nor did they have the opportunity to be encouraged by God’s nor did they hear the beautiful music this morning at church like I did.

Verses like:

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” – Proverbs 3:5, 6

Songs like “Though it all”

Through it all,
through it all,
I’ve learned to trust in Jesus,
I’ve learned to trust in God.

As I look back on 2017 I have been reminded of something my Dad has talked about in reference to his 1982 climb of Mt. Kenya (Point Lenana – 16,000+ feet).  He says one of the most difficult parts of the climb was the scree”Here is a definition:

“A mass of small loose stones that form or cover a slope on a mountain.”

My dad says you take 2 steps forward and slide 1 step back. That’s a lot of how I would describe this past year.  Right before my surgery in January, I had almost recovered the use of my left hand and was beginning to play the piano a little, then I woke up in ICU from surgery unable to move my foot or hand in any direction.  A few months later in June, I had surgery #3, at which time I was told, I would likely loose ALL mobility on my left.  However, friends, family, my wonderful church family of Southside Baptist Church (in Sebring, FL) and complete strangers jumped in and started praying in earnest and God performed a miracle again.  I’m still walking and have some use of my left arm.  Now when I say some, I do mean SOME, but SOME beats NOTHING.  I am thankful for lessons God has allowed me to see through these experiences.  Have I been discouraged? SURE!! Plenty of times. But I can see God’s hand through all of them, even if only to remind me He’s got everything under control and that I need to be more understanding of others.  You never know what they have been or are currently facing.  I sit here New Year’s Eve with fireworks going off around the neighborhood. For some reason after my radiation, my hearing became quite sensitive.  Doctors said, I would likely lose much of my hearing, instead it went in the opposite direction.  The doctors can’t explain it.  Between that and effects of some medication, I am sometimes a bit sensitive to loud noises.  So, with fireworks going off, I am a bit jumpy tonight.  I laughed that I was worse than the dogs ever were.  Then, my heart went to those brave men and women in the military who have fought for my freedom on the front lines of war and who have struggled with the same loud noises.  Now I don’t struggle for the same reason as I was never in the military, but I can sympathize with the discomfort of the sounds.

Instead of losing my hearing.  I have a lost much of my voice (my “teacher voice” and my singing voice).

Now don’t misunderstand me.  I’m human.  I still have to grab a tissue and just let the tears fall, sometimes rather heavily.  These tears do not come from fear of what comes after this life ends. I'm secure in that. I know where I'll be then. “Absent from the body. . . present with the Lord.” However, there are a lot of other unknowns and frustrations between now and then.  I can look back at this year and see when God used my experiences to show me something important about my relationship with Him and with others.  I still feel as though I’m on that scree. These past couple of weeks I have noticed a change in my energy.  Then starting back on the double chemo Christmas Day, that fatigue was intensified.  That all sat me back some more.  So really for about the last two weeks, I’ve been back on that scree again.  Then last night (Saturday) I noticed a new movement out of my foot.

(Continued New Year’s Day)

As I was falling asleep last night, saying goodbye to 2017 and hello to 2018 (not at midnight, my weary eyes had closed and I was sleeping long before that).  I was thinking about what did I do last year that I would rather not repeat in the new year?  First of all, I would rather not put the wrong Christmas card in the wrong envelope.  You know who you are.  I’m Sorry.  Now don’t tell me you’ve never done that before.  I would also prefer not to look quite so foolish or at least not worry about looking foolish when getting in the car and my left leg, which sometimes has a mind of its own, sticks out like a flagpole when I try to get in the car.

Sunday evening, I also received an encouraging email from a friend in Kenya who reminded me of another verse (see below) to get me through those stepping backward days.  This is my motto for 2018.  So welcome 2018.  You are beautiful this morning.  What do you have in store for me this year?  Better yet, what does God have in store for me this new year?




PRAISES:

Safety, and strength for each new day.

Lessons God continues to bring my way about Himself, me, others around me and life in general.

Another new year.

PRAYER REQUESTS: (Many of these remain the same, but are still relevant/needed.)

NEW – Recently I have been extra tired.  After a discussion with my doctor’s office, they informed me this will happen when a person is on chemotherapy for an extended period of time. So please pray for extra strength on a daily basis.

Continued strength to manage the physical strain of some of the treatment and exercises to improve mobility.

Courage to face the unknown and opportunities to show the grace of God through difficult times.

Safety.

Family who are hanging in there with me through this battle.

Wisdom to know my limitations and observe them.

Next MRI and doctor visit Feb 8.

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