Life Goes On...

I'm not sure I am the best at feeling blessed in bad situations. I am not one of those trying to always smile so that I can make the world think things are great when they suck. Rather I desire to see how I am blessed when things are tough.


My parents are at the hospital today. A lady that has worked for them for nearly 20 years found out in the last couple weeks she has colon cancer. Today Shirley is having surgery done. She is terrified and a bit hardheaded. She considered just not having the surgery. Not long ago she got mad at two of her friends because they took off work to go to the doctor with her. A couple years ago Shirley's husband died. I can't imagine finding strength in her situation.


Saturday my mom gave me a newspaper clipping. I went to high school with a girl named Shanna. Not long ago I was home and ran into her parents with her two oldest boys. She was at home with her little girl and was due to have the fourth soon. Saturday I found out the fourth, and infant, died. I imagine I would be devastated. I considered visiting her and her parents. I couldn't. What in the world would I tell them? How could I show them how much I hurt for them?


Monday morning my dad went to the dump to unload a trailer of trash. He fell, landed on the rail of the trailer, and was in such pain he just laid there for several minutes. After spending the afternoon at the doctor we found out he broke a rib. He is in quite a bit of pain and I hate seeing my dad this way.


Tuesday Ryan went to the doctor. Last fall he dropped a 1,000-pound sound cabinet on his foot at work. It crushed it. He has had numerous surgeries, metal plates, pins, and more put in there. At the doctor he found out he will need surgery again. The doctor wants to grind down part of the bone in his third toe. It will leave it immovable. In order to fix this problem, they want to attach it to the second toe. He is pretty disappointed. It will put him out of work for at least a month…again.


In three weeks I begin orientation to go overseas. I am so excited and yet worried. I will spend years away from the friends I have made in the last four years. After graduating we have all moved away from one another. It is hard to handle. I miss my friends. I love my parents; I have had great time with them. But I miss those who have become my other family. My family in Waco only has a few pieces in Waco. We have the ability to simply sit and talk for hours about nothing. We play together, and talk together. We laugh together, and pray together. Now we are all separated. I miss them. I'll miss them and my actual family when I am gone. I'm a bit nervous about the whole ordeal.


Just wanted to share life with those of you who swing by to read. By the way I have sent out an email to numerous people to join a prayer team as I head overseas. I am fully aware that I will need a blanket of prayer over me as I go and do ministry. If you have not heard from me I do not have an email to reach you. Let me know if you are interested in participating: send me an email.


One of the hardest things about leaving is that life still goes on for the rest of the world. My family will still get sick and hurt. Those I love may pass away. Others will get older or married or have kids. I will miss these milestones and I hate that. The last several weeks have been about saying goodbyes. They have been about seeing people I know and/or knew and sharing with them some time and a hug. I have a couple weeks left to do this. It's tough.