“A Thought or Two as Well as a Smile”

An Update on Karen  October 10, 2015

It is such an encouragement to know how many people keep track of my Karen and her chemotherapy infusions.  I posted a brief statement on Facebook about being off to the Cancer Center. Many precious friends indicated that they would be praying for us. What an encouragement.  An even greater encouragement is the number of folks that reminded us they already had it on their calendars and were praying. You folks are very special to us.

We have read many books written by those traveling through cancer. One of the books warned us that there would be times that we would feel so abandoned and all alone. Well friends that surely hasn’t happened to us. You dear folks have come to us with words of encouragement and acts of love that helped us in ways that are hard to put to words. You have blessed our lives.

Recently we were in a service at the First Baptist Church of Elyria. This is the church in which I filled the pulpit after the beloved pastor died and before the arrival of God’s next man. Pastor Odle greeted us during the service and at the close he asked me to come and share an update with the church concerning Karen’s cancer and then close in prayer. I reminded the church family of the verse that I have claimed for these days. It is, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee” (Psalm 56:3). I tenderly shared with the congregation that I am learning to trust the Lord in new ways because there are times that I really am afraid.  Many smiled, nodded that they understood what I am experiencing, and became teary eyed with me.

Tomorrow I am preaching at the Abbe Road Baptist Church here in Elyria. The Lord has directed me to the Jeremiah 23 passage where He is called, “Yahweh Tsidkenu- The LORD Our Righteousness.” I again am confronted with the question, “Do I really believe that the LORD is too wise to make any mistakes and that He is correct in everything He does? The answer is YES! Karen and I really do believe this. We really do. But oh how I need to trust Him.

Trusting the righteous Lord God doesn’t mean that life is going to be easy. It doesn’t mean that we fly through life without pain, disappointment, or even discouragement. But it does mean in those times of uncertainty and fear we really can lean even more heavily on the Lord. That’s what trust is. It’s leaning heavily upon Him.

What are you facing that is causing you to especially trust in the Lord?  He was Nahum’s stronghold in trouble (Nahum 1:7). He is our Stronghold today. He is the One to Whom Jeremiah called (Jeremiah 33:3). He is the One to Whom we call today. He is the One on Whom David waited (Psalm 27:14). He is the One on Whom we wait today. He is the One that caused the Apostle Paul to say, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). He’s the exact same Lord today with the same purpose. Karen and I want to trust Him.

Now for the smile. On the way home from the Cancer Center we stopped at grocery story for just a second. Karen was going to pick up some lunch meat and I would select a couple of anniversary cards. As I looked up from the card display, there was the most beautiful woman in all the world standing at the end of the aisle. It was Karen and there in the distance she stood, smiling, with a quarter of a cake in her hand. Just over her head the sign read “Aisle 9 Baked Goods.” There stood my beautiful wife in aisle 9 and I couldn’t help but smile thinking of the hundreds of you folks that get a chuckle out of my aisle 9!

Please be praying about the scan that will take place on the last week of October. I’ll write more later. We love you folks.