Mixed Signals

Last evening an "adopted daughter" called to get the real story on how I'm doing. The last few days of this blog, apparently, have sent mixed signals. I think that's because I'm a little mixed up. On the whole, I'm doing well. But there are moments when I slip into tiredness. Not to worry!

Monday afternoon I couldn't shake the fatigue, so I left work at 3:00 to go home and rest. I flipped on the public radio station as I drove, and "just happened" to hear an interview about the value of crawling under your desk at noon for a short nap. So yesterday I went to the office armed with a quilt and a king-sized pillow. At noon I spread the quilt on the floor, closed my door, turned off the lights, and lay down. A half hour later I awoke as fresh as morning. Worked the rest of the day, then came home for a normal evening. So, for my friends who are working wives and are sick and tired of coming home at end of day too tired to cook and clean up, I recommend a noontime nap on your floor.

Thank God, the blood count report yesterday didn't contain anything scary. The chemo nurse thinks things can plummet this week, so we'll repeat the test on Friday. If all is well, Chuck and I plan to go to Indiana on Saturday for a week. I'm so thankful that God continues to give me good health.

I learned last evening that my cousin, MUCH younger than me, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. All ten biopsy spots were positive. No! No, no, no! No more cancer! I'm so sad, and I hope you'll lift him and his doctor in prayer as they make crucial decisions in the next few days. But, of course, I need to speak truth to my sadness: Cancer can be a gift and can bring gifts 0f grace to him as it has to me. (Oh! So many gifts!) I pray it will be so for him.

My cancer buddy with blood clots has gone home from the hospital. Thanks for praying for him.

You know I'm a "book grazer." Last evening, pausing for a moment by Henri Nouwen, I found this: "Prayer is the spiritual discipline through which our mind and heart are converted from hostility or suspicion to hospitality toward people. . . . Gratitude is the sign that this conversion is spreading into all aspects of our life. . . . In prayer, we learn to trust that God can work fruitfully through us no matter where we are or who we are with. As our prayer deepens into a constant awareness of God's goodness, the spirit of gratitude grows within us. Gratitude releases us from the bonds of obligation and prepares us to offer ourselves freely and fully for the work of the Kingdom."

Gratefully,
Carol