It's good to be back. For most of the summer the computer was off limits as I was either preparing for or recovering from surgery to my wrist and elbow. It's not that God was not present in my life during this time. It was actually a time of increased presence as I wandered through the frustration of not being able to do what I wanted, and experiencing an increased anxiety associated with surgery and recovery. While I could not post entries during this time my mind was experiencing the spiritual side of summer.
A lot of quality time was with the grandboys, one of God's greatest gifts. My wife and I planted a garden with them to teach a little about sustainability and the balance that God asks us to maintain. A garden needs a certain amount of food, nutrients, a certain amount of water, and a certain amount of care or love. While the grandchildren were not always present, the time we spent in the garden was a special spiritual time. My wife and I both enjoyed the project. All that is left is a healthy crop of cherry tomatoes, but Cal, my oldest grandson picks them washes them and eats them. They are his favorite, and they came from the garden he helped plant and not bought at Walmart.
We also took the boys on a mini-vacation to Branson. It's so much more fun to experience the things you have experienced a thousand times with grandkids for the first time. We saw and did a lot on that three day vacation and had a lot of fun, but the most memorable part was of a more serious nature. Did I mention the boys are inseparable? They may argue and scuffle, but they always have each other's back. While shopping in a crowded store they became separated for a short period of time. In an adult world this was far from a crisis, but to a six and seven year old, it was a serious situation. Wil, the youngest was wailing, " He's lost, he's my brother, he's the only brother I have. Someone may steal him and I will never see him again."
Cal, the oldest, just stopped to look at something of interest, and the crowd closed between us. When my wife rescued him, he had just realized that he was separated. In minutes we were all reunited. It was a very tearful time with a lot of serious hugging. Cal was more upset about upsetting his little brother than he was about being separated.
While I was driving them home, a song came on a cd called, "What Would I Do Without You." I noticed that the arguing and the horseplace stopped and the backseat was very quiet. When the song was finished and just about the time we got to their house I heard one say to the other, "We're a Team." They hugged each other, I dropped them off at home and on that note our vacation ended.
Independence Day also had its memorable moments. Early in the week before the Fourth, one of our oldest parishioners and one of the area's oldest veterans passed away. He was for sure a patriot for his country and for his God. On Independence Day, I couldn't help but think that he was reviewing the troops from his reviewing stand next to his God. Also, this year Independence Day was on a Sunday. While many of the activities took place on the preceding Saturday, this year’s celebration seemed comfortable with a God and Country theme, which is often times muted in this cynical era of separation of church and state.
I watched my wife, and those she worked with grow spiritually as they provided support for a friend and fellow employee. Their colleague was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer in the early months of spring.. While in the area they were able to talk on the phone and visit. My wife helped her and her sisters with a sale where they sold everything of value. Then she moved away to live with her daughter. While the drive to visit her was two hours from our house, my wife loaded up the van several times during the summer to take a variety of her working family to visit. Norma was a lovely lady who would often time dress as a clown while working because one of her goals in life was to make people happy. She was also a former hospice nurse which allowed her to meet death with dignity, with a certainty of her heavenly travel arrangements. She passed shortly after the Fourth of July. My wife and all those who were near Norma during her summer of suffering were blessed and certainly example of how God guides you, even in the dark times.
Many other things happened over the last three months, but these are the ones that made lasting impressions. I do think God for my successful surgery and recovery and as I return to school I look forward more regular numerous posts. I will also be providing special post from time to time and if you are a new reader I would encourage you to begin at the blog’s beginning. It is in the early writings that you will get to know me.
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