“Would You Please Continue to Pray for Karen?”
An Urgent Update for October 26th, 2016

All my adult life I have worked with people. As a servant of the Lord I have had the extreme privilege of sharing the absolute best and most joyful times of people’s lives as well as the absolute worst and most heartbreaking times. The times of joy were wonderful and the words of celebration came easily. The times of trials and sorrow were difficult and sometimes the words came with great difficulty. Glib clichés ring with an empty hollowness. As a pastor and now as a missionary, I’ve shared the best of times and worst of times with dear folks all of my adult life.

Today Karen and I are rounding a major curve in our road. We are deeply entering the curve; but we can’t quite see what’s up ahead. What several of our medical doctors had hoped was her gallbladder was not to be. My Sweetheart still doesn’t have the best gallbladder in town. But as you know we are dealing with something more ominous than the gallbladder. Her cancer has spread and has taken up residency in her stomach lining.

The game plan calls for a surgical post-op visit tomorrow at 9:15am. On Friday she has a PET scan which stands for Positron Emission Tomography will show whether the cancer has spread and help her oncologists decide on the most appropriate cancer treatment for her. The following week we meet with the radiation oncologist on Wednesday and then the next day we meet with her regular oncologist to discuss what all this means to my Karen.

I know these appointments are a week away. Meanwhile there are several things I would ask you to join me in praying for my Karen. First, please ask the Lord to keep the nausea under control. She has felt like she has the flu for months. Most of us are wanting to be done with the flu within a few hours or few days at the most. Please pray specifically about her nausea. Second, please ask the Lord to help her to be able to eat a little. She must not lose any more weight. Thirdly, pray that she and I together will have a quiet and gentle attitude. Pray that we will graciously accept the Lord’s plan and that we will be tender with people around us. I don’t want to become impatient as I see how easily some folks whine and complain. Karen and I both want to represent well the Lord.

A month or so ago I preached about being “Overwhelmed” at the First Baptist Church of Elyria. It is such a joy and blessing to a preacher to have his words come back to be an encouragement to him. In Psalm 142:3 David prayed, “When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path.” In other words, when life circumstances totally overwhelm me, I need to stop and remember that God is intimately aware of my situation. I can be assured of five things.
1. He knows me.
2. He knows where I am.
3. He knows His plans for me.
4. He knows the hurts, hard times, and heartbreaks.
5. He knows that He makes no mistakes. I know He makes no mistakes as well.

Big days are ahead for Karen and me and those traveling on this journey with us. We will keep up up-to-date and thank you so much for traveling with us on the journey.