Never Say Never

Today as we were traveling to Lakewood we found ourselves at a stoplight right next Raimund Ruf. Raimund is a friend a former church member from Dakota Ridge Church and has been working in a local roofing business after nineteen years as an inspector with the City of Denver. It was great to see Ray and to get caught up, since he had lost track of me and did not know of the events of the last year. I was just getting ready to call him about some roofing business for my mother and me. Ray followed us to Christian’s home and helped me get into the house, which was needed because Christian wasn’t home at the time. I felt it was one of those “divine connections.”

Today was the birthday celebration for our grandson Caedmon Reese. This is Christian and Bridget’s second child. It was an enjoyable time with a few close friends and their children and by Caedmon’s request an ice cream sundae bar with no cake. Caedmon turned six and Bridget invited family to submit a special letter or prayer for Caedmon as he begin his journey through the next 12 years of school.

My mother was able to join us and she enjoyed the time with the family for this special occasion. She continues to do well, still living in her own home at 89. (My mother is holding Caedmon in the family picture)

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” Proverbs 27:1

The brevity of life and uncertainty of that which we are certain is one of the realities of life. I’m not sure if I “boasted” about tomorrow, but I lived with a confidence that some of the misfortunes that happened to other people would not happen to me. In my years of pastoral ministry I faced the cold reality of the brevity and uncertainty of life when I would be standing at casket of a church member on Friday who was in our worship service the previous Sunday. Yet that seemed far too removed from my personal reality. “It can’t, it won’t happen to me.”

The apostle James sounds the warning in the New Testament, “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”  James 4:13,14

During recent years I would attempt to relieve Debbie’s anxiety about the “what if” question by reassuring her our finances were in order and how to access any information that she may need. I would then tell her how healthy I was and that I was in good shape and active. My somewhat rhetorical question was, “what could possibly go wrong?!”

It would seem strange that the answer to that question would be “a mosquito bite!” A mosquito infected with West Nile Virus that entered my body that, unknown to me, had a compromised immune system from a underlying condition of Myasthenia Gravis. The ensuing meningitis and encephalitis brought about a life threatening combination creating respiratory failure, and swelling in my brain.

The Apostle James says that the proper perspective is view life in terms of, “…if the Lord wills….”  (James 4:15) For me that means understanding that everyday if a gift from God. It also is reminder to live a God-centered life and to realize that God is with us and what He does not keep us from, He will be faithful to see us through.

For me, I am trusting the Lord to see me through each day and each step to full recovery. Living life with perhaps more humility and appreciation of what can happen so quickly.