September 19, 2013 Bless those who respond with positive comment. And bless the others too! In 1958 when I was diagnosed with cancer the first time, during recovery I wrote a book entitled “Finally The Dawn.” It was a story based on three of us taking a trip ‘around the world’ and we started out with nine cents. (We went. That’s the story)* One critic wrote: “This book is nothing but a series of impressions tied together with a minimum of continuity…but I like it.” At first, it hurt my feelings, but in seconds it came to me: That’s your life, kid. That’s your life. And so today, a short series of impressions. Tuesday night I had the good opportunity to talk to a cancer survivors group at the hospital. One lady present said, “You are so right. Only those of us who have had this one know.” That was one thing we shared. The other is this: Don’t be passive. Be an active, involved and questioning patient. Not a bother, not a problem, but a partner in treatment. It’s good for patients and physicians. Then be grateful for all your resources, and don’t be afraid to use them. This, of course, includes every spiritual assist you have or can find. Surrender is the ultimate illness. And while there is a time to hold on and a time to let go, holding on is powerful medicine in itself. From time to time we run into things like “Think well and be well.” Or “You are as sick as you want to be,” or “You’re not really sick, that’s just an illusion. There is merit to the power of positive thinking, and what we will does affect our whole being. Generally such statements are made (often with caring) by those who are quite well. So, think well, want to be well, deal with what you have as real and not illusion, get the help provided, do the right thing in treatment, and maybe health comes back again. If not, you’ve done what you could without surrender. Dear Pat O from our church sent us flowers the other day. The edible kind! Pretty and tasty! Nice combo. As we were enjoying a piece of cantaloupe and a chocolate covered strawberry I had this tummy warming remembrance. About a guy who ate Scripture! (Ezekiel 3:3) I thought: “Well, now, that’s one way to get the Word in you!” (It was sweet---tasted like honey.) Getting Scripture in you is good because you know more, can live better, and because you may want to send regular or edible flowers to people you care about and love. Just finished writing postcards to our three grandsons. Had a chance to run over to Baton Rouge to be with the daughter I wrote about Tuesday—that was a “glad to do it and feel good” post. Their three sons wrote congratulations concerning my ‘graduation’ from treatment this time around. So sweet, so nice. The youngest is just four, his card went something like this “+ )( #~~^?-__&” if you know what I mean. To ‘Poppa,’ that’s Nobel Prize literature! The two others are six and nine now, and their text was healing and blessing. Last Sunday at 8:30 I repeated a sermon I had offered the week before at 11. Todd Watson, our Associate, and I are taking early and mid-day services on a rotating basis. The summary of the message was ‘Who, What, When, and Where.” We used the Scripture about Paul and Apollos (I Cor.3), and one in 2 Peter 2, referring to the Church in the noblest way—the way it ought to be. Here it is in a sentence of ‘twelve words or less:’ People, not pastors. are the Church. Let’s act in Christ-like love. (Please don’t count ‘Let’s’ as or ‘Christ-like’ as two words. Thanks.) My illness and age call for us to look at pastor and Church now and later. So we listen and talk together. I always identify with our Lay ministers who open each of our services, when they say something like, “I want to shares something impressive, but…” They almost always do just that. I’d like to do that too. Tied together, perhaps, with a ‘minimum of continuity.’ Always love, always, Keith *Finally The Dawn is out of print. HeartStuff and GodStuff are still available.
Posted on: Thu, 19 Sep 2013 13:02:55 +0000
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