Settled

John Piper, a pastor in Minnesota, wants his daughter (age 12) to "settle some things with God now, so that when little or big losses come--and they will come--her pain will be bounded and will not carry her out, like a riptide, into the terrifying darkness of doubt about God. So as we read God's word together twice a day, I point out the mysterious ways of God."

That's wise parenting. The principle also works for us at any age. Here's more from his weekly "Desiring God" email:

"When huge pain comes into your life--like divorce, or the loss of a precious family member, or the dream of wholeness shattered--it is good to have a few things settled with God ahead of time. The reason for this is not because it makes grieving easy, but because it gives focus and boundaries for the pain.

"Being confident in God does not make the pain less deep, but less broad. If some things are settled with God, there are boundaries around the field of pain. In fact, by being focused and bounded, the pain of loss may go deeper--as a river with banks runs deeper than a flood plain. But with God in his firm and proper place, the pain need not spread out into theendless spaces of ultimate meaning. This is a great blessing, though at the time it may simply feel no more tender than a brick wall. But what a precious wall it is!"

A friend sent me this: "What you know is more important than what you feel." This is not to deny the high value of feelings, but rather to affirm that knowing truth--God's truth--really does build good boundaries for pain. I've said it before: I'm so glad that before this cancer road intersected my life journey, I'd formed the habit of spending time with God daily and reading His word. I don't say this to sound holy. I simply tell you that there have been many, many days when the truth I connected with in the early morning gave me courage and strength for each moment of the day. And in a broader sense, the basic knowledge of God as good, reliable, mysterious, and faithful forever became the firm ground I have landed on whenever disturbing bumps in the road have tossed me around.

Since your road may contain bumps too, I recommend this habit.

Last evening a former pastor called. After family updates all around and words of blessing and encouragement, he prayed for us. Right over the phone line. It was obvious that he and his wife pray for us regularly (as we do for them), even though he's moved to new responsibilities with lots of new people to care about. What a beautiful gesture of love and faith!

I continue to feel very well. You know, I'd gotten so accustomed to having my life punctuated by chemo sessions that at times I almost feel disoriented. Not that I liked them or miss them; it's a subconscious thing I guess. Odd!

I'll have a phone consultation this morning with the layout designer at Relevant Media Group in Florida to discuss our vision for the SIM magazine that I uploaded for him a few days ago. Then it's up to him to make it beautiful, and I'll do my part by praying for him.

Fran's surgery yesterday went well, and she expects to come home today. Since the excision this time is larger, and includes many more lymph nodes, her pain will probably be greater than following the first surgery. She'll continue to need lots of prayer.

Blessings,
Carol