Day: September 21, 2015

Categories
Inspiration

Seven Good Things about Having Cancer, Part 2 – by Gerald Givens

Senior couple enjoy the sunset together

Cancer and My Marriage

Click her to read Part 1

Maybe I’m Amazed

“Then the Lord God said,
‘It is not good that the man should be alone;
I will make him a helper fit for him.'” 
Genesis 2:18 ESV, 

Karen and I are off for my third Chemo infusion later this afternoon.

The other day, Karen said to me, “Don’t put on that hat, you will ruin your hair.”  After we exchanged a funny look, we both started to laugh.  Hard to ruin what I have now.  That is an example what underlies us as a couple. Coming up on 48 years – I am amazed.  We love each other and we love to laugh together.

In Part 1 I mentioned that I experienced dry mouth, weird tastes, and nausea as side effects to Chemo.  During this round my tongue became coated, pure white, and nothing tasted normal and nothing tasted good – most things still don’t.  I am reminded of my father-in-law who every evening after dinner would thank his wife for dinner – that included everything from full Sunday dinners to warmed up left overs.  I have never been as faithful as he but with these side effects, I have not been a good eater.  Through it all Karen has done what she could to help me eat enough to keep from losing weight.  I am amazed. It is not easy when your ‘diner’ is saying “yuk”.

A part of Paul McCartney’s lyrics from I Am Amazed seems to say it well,

Maybe I’m a man
Maybe I’m a lonely man
Who’s in the middle of something
That he doesn’t really understand

Maybe I’m a man
And you’re the only woman
Who could ever help me
Baby, won’t you help me to understand?

Maybe I’m amazed at the way
You’re with me all the time
And maybe I’m afraid of the way
I leave you

Maybe I’m amazed at the way
You help me sing my song
You right me when I’m wrong
Maybe I’m amazed at the way
I really need you

(© Mccartney, Paul James. For non-commercial use only. © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC For non-commercial use only. Data from: LyricFind)

Photo Copyright: Miemo Penttinen, "Rope" https://goo.gl/iKr1EV http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Photo Copyright: Miemo Penttinen, “Rope” https://goo.gl/iKr1EV http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

As He promised always, The Lord will be with us this afternoon.

“ . . . a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
Ecclesiastes 4:12 ESV

Maybe I am finding some of that ‘rejoicing’ mentioned in 1 Thessalonians.  Karen loves me and stands by me, the Lord is helping me be ready, and I am on the path with my Lord and when I stray he is calling me back to be with Him!

Copyright Gerald Givens

_______________

01 CancerGerald Givens is a retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel (1969-1991) and contract satellite engineer/program manager (1991-2011). He was born on 16 March 1945, and blessed to be baptized in April 1945, and married to his lovely wife, Karen, on 23 December 1967. He has served HCLC as Lay Minister and member of the Board of Directors. For many years he served with Karen and a third grade and kindergarten Sunday School teacher.  Recently he has led numerous Financial Peace University classes and co-chaired with Karen the Holy Cross Momentum emphasis,”SOAR” which was intended to bring Biblically based financial management training to the broader Holy Cross community.

Categories
PWTE Daily Devotion

Which Side of the Force Are You on?

Colorado Springs, Colorado

The force of God’s love brings us into his presence.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

And Elijah came near to all the people and said,
“How long will you go limping between two different opinions?
If the LORD is God, follow him;
but if Baal, then follow him.”
And the people did not answer him a word.
1 Kings 18:21 English Standard Version

I remember seeing Star Wars for the first time. This was before it was renamed “A New Hope.” For some reason I didn’t see the movie until the fall of 1977 even though it had been released in May of that year. I was on break from college in Michigan and visiting my sister in Chicago. Like most people who watched the movie for the first time, I sunk low in my seat when the Imperial battleship came flying over my head.

Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Being that I was in my senior year of college and about to enter seminary, I was compelled to see the theological significance of the movie. I was convinced it had Christian overtones. Good overcomes evil. Christ destroys sin. How much clearer did it need to be?

A real person named Elijah stood on Mt. Carmel and called out to the people to follow the true God. If that true God was Baal, then follow him. If it was Yahweh, then follow him. The saddest part of this story is that people said nothing.

How many times have we heard the call of God to follow his Son and we’ve done nothing? We say something like, “I would love to follow, but I’ve got too much on my plate now. Maybe tomorrow.”

Elijah didn’t give up. He built his altar, killed the sacrifice, drenched the altar with water, then called on his God. Though the people remained silent, God didn’t. God consumed everything on the altar as well as the altar itself. God can’t remain silent. He must act.

He has acted for us in his Son who was the sacrifice laid out on the altar of his cross. His death and his resurrection ring throughout the world. His action has changed lives. It has changed our lives.

God brings us into his reign through the power of the Holy Spirit. Through God’s mercy we are on the side of the most powerful force in the universe.

Though the Star Wars movies might have become more convoluted where good is evil and evil is good, in God’s case he always acts for his people. And his action is always good.

Okay, so I can’t help myself, I’ve got to say it. May the Force be with you! May the Force of forgiveness and mercy reign in your life.

Copyright Douglas P Brauner