Today and Tommorow
Hey Boy’s and Girl’s. Hope all is well and your New Year is getting off to a wonderful start!
I did this last year with some very challenging information and health status. Had found out the month before that I had a brain tumor than would end my life and I honestly did not expect to be here in 2022. But here I am, after 30 rounds of radiation and chemo last January and February, a major surgery the last day of March and now I have finished 9 or 10 rounds of chemo therapy. It seems to have been going on so long I never remember the exact month. I just know I have 12 rounds to get through and it is getting closer.
This has been an interesting process. I promise I have never freaked out about dying! Years and years of ministry work and counseling work, I have been very aware that we each will die and most really have no clue when that will happen. That in no way suggest I am ready to die or ever thought I would deal with something like this at this point of my life.
Here are honestly my challenge these days. I was diagnosed in November of 2020. That means I am in around my 14th month of knowing about this brain tumor. Last year there were many things I did not worry about. I wanted to live well, enjoy my family and friends and be ready to go when it happened. My current status has given me a little different perspective and a few challenges.
The tumor and surgery have certainly impacted my brain, memory on certain things and I get tired much quicker these days. Money did not seem that important because I was not expecting to be around that long. I have good life insurance and felt like Natalie would at least have a little money when I was gone. We had many people who were very generous with money, which helped tremendously. I took comfort in believing we were in great shape until I was gone and then Natalie would be taken care of in the finance area.
I was someone who tried and encouraged people for years to live more in “TODAY!” I worked on this last year and for the most part did pretty well. I talked through this with one of my buddies last week, about my challenge these days. I am trying to continue to live in today and also believe my tomorrow may go much further than I thought it would!
This is a good thing. I am going to continue to “live in the today.” I also need to change my mindset that I am going to be around for a while and make some small changes to be that guy as well.
Not sure if this makes sense but it will require “ a little different mind shift” for me. I want to live and plan around this idea that I will be around for a while. On February 3rd, I do my big check in. I always believe it will not be good news. Since that surgery on March 31, it has always been “good news!” I want to start expecting more of that until the day I am gone!
At the end of the day, what I believe is, “God is Good.” He certainly works in many ways I don’t understand. I want to continue to experience His love and find ways to share it with others. So don’t forget.
“YOU ARE LOVED AND OF GREAT VALUE!!!!!”