The gift

Here we are back home. It was cold in Florida, but it's colder here of course. We're thankful for a safe and pleasant trip yesterday.

One of the speakers at the conference was Dr. Erwin Lutzer, pastor of Moody Church. He was also a panelist on the live broadcast of Open Line, during which he received a Gold Book award for one of his books which had sold over a half million. They bragged about it a little, and piqued my interest so I got it and read it before we reached home yesterday. The title is One Minute after you Die, and it's published by Moody Publishers. I realize there are people who believe it's bad luck (or bad faith) to talk about death. But when my tumor marker numbers are climbing and the surgeon can feel growing tumors, you will forgive me if I bring up the subject. I'm planning to live, but prepared to die.

Actually, we're all going to do that. So I'd recommend this book for everyone. Here are a couple of excerpts:

"Thus God prevented Adam and Eve from eternal sinfulness by giving them the gift of death, the ability to exit this life and arrive safely in the wondrous life to come. Deth, though it would appear to be our greatest enemy, would in the end prove to be our greatet friend. Only through death can we go to God (unless, of course, we are still living when Christ returns)."

Dr. Lutzer describes a conversation with a man who was battling a brain tumor. The sick man said his intention was to follow God so closely now, while he still had strength, that when weakness and pain eventually came, he would be able to endure it confidently. And he did. The dying man used this analogy: "When you come home at night, you can manage to get around the house in the darkness because you have been there so often in the light." I like that! And even if God chooses to give me 20 more years of life on this earth, I still want to daily cultivate the growing habit of trust. Or, as our FROG motto states, Fully Rely On God. (I'm astounded by how easy it is, when days are light, to rely on myself--unreliable though I am.)

I drank a tankard of water last night, and I'm drinking another this morning, trying to hydrate so my veins will gladly yield up the three needed vials of blood this morning. Then I'll be back at work, finalizing the first draft of the next magazine.

Thanks for your love and prayers.

Carol