Great Faithfulness

My trip has been going extremely well with a nice amount of visiting coupled with many miles of driving.

It was a joy to visit Justin and Laura in their lovely new home in Tennessee and be the center of attraction for Ella and Sophia.  Sunday we celebrated their 7th anniversary going out to eat in the evening.  They selected a nice restaurant with a charming outside eating area which was fun for all of us until a heavy rainstorm sent us scurrying for cover.  Being that the interior tables at the restaurant were then filled, we opted to take the balance of our dinner in boxes back to the house.  The girls thought that it was an exciting event.

I was also able to tour Justin's new dental offices and learn much about the specialized equipment in the lab.  Dental work has certainly changed from the days when I was young and dreaded that slow revolving drill with what appeared to be a mile of small belt winding around the numerous pulleys.

I enjoyed a delightful drive through some interesting mountain roads in Tennessee as I continued on to the lake house in Indiana where I have been able to enjoy several days with Karin and Keith.  The area has had an abundance of rain this spring and I noticed that many farmers’ fields had large ponds of water that has drowned out the crop in those areas, which I am sure will be painful at harvest time providing a reduced return on the farmer’s investment in time and materials.

Yesterday I had to be in Michigan to handle some business matters, and Karin was able to hand over or delay some of her cases for the day so that she was able to join me for the trip.  What a difference it makes having someone to talk with as the miles go by!

We were able to enjoy conversation with friends there and being that we were not far from the cemetery as we left town, where many of my family members are buried, we decided to swing over that way.  As I visited my grandparents graves, I recalled the day as a young boy about 75 years ago when I was with them as they selected burial sites in the newly opened area.  Today few burial spots are unused there and many additional areas have been opened.  We also visited Carol's burial site where we laid her to rest nearly seven years ago.  Is I read the bronze marker with both of our names, it was a somber reminder that in the not too distant future I will be joining her there.

Having just read Lamentations Chapter 3 in the morning, I was reminded of  many challenges that we experienced with Carol's cancer, the uncertainty about the effectiveness of the treatments, but always the amazing faithfulness of God right up to the moment that He gently escorted her through that final curtain, leaving behind the pain and suffering of this life and at the same time providing each of us standing at her bedside, a solid hope for our future.  The songwriter expressed it in a beautiful way using the words of Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:23 as he reflected upon the Lord in spite of his grief and tears; "Great is Thy Faithfulness!"  

I trust that each of you have been recognizing God's great love, compassion and faithfulness that Jeremiah remindeds us of in the midst of his "storm."

Love to you all,

Chuck