Yeah, But...Why?

Well, it's been over a week since I've had the opportunity to spill my guts in anything more than a few paragraphs, painstakingly poked out on my cell phone keyboard. So, since I have this nice big keyboard and relatively gi-normous monitor, I'm going to take this opportunity to stretch my rhetorical legs a bit -- if you'll indulge me.

This past week was quite a trip. It started in such a frightening way. I was rushed to the hospital from my doctor's office and directly admitted. After surgery (the following day), things turned into more of a low-key, endurance test.

I try to learn something from every struggle that comes along. Taking something meaningful from utter chaos makes life seem logical and manageable. But sometimes the search for a strand of meaning is futile, and we just become frustrated, depressed and distant from any sort of faith in a higher order. It's in those times that you have to hold most tightly to your faith.

So, I've spent this week trying to make sense of my circumstances -- both now, and over time. Many of you know (because of my windy ways) about things I've struggled with over the past year or so; so I won't go into all that. This one however, came as quite a shock, and really made me struggle to find that elusive bit of meaning.

I've concluded that God has his own way of getting our attention.  And I believe he is trying his best to get my attention right now. He tried once, a few weeks ago, with a one night hospital stay. Admittedly, I shrugged it off as dumb luck. It was a couple days after I'd marked 10 years of hospital-free living; so the significance should have been obvious.  It took something much stronger to wake me up.

I think we all have a reason to be here. We all have a purpose to serve in the grand plan. If we ignore that purpose -- whatever we believe it to be -- how can we live truly fulfilled lives? If you're a person of faith, you have to believe that you can't please God if you're not heeding his gentle call. And maybe that's why he sends us a little push now and then: to get us off our tuckus.

I think this explains what happened to me this past week. I'm pretty sure what I have to do...but have procrastinated terribly in getting it done. For that matter, I haven't gotten much of anything done. So God decided to abandon the gentle tap on the shoulder, and opted instead for the not-so-gentle kick in the butt. I need to get busy, re-focus on what matters and get things done. I'm going to try. Hopefully, no further "reminders" will be necessary.

Learn from my lesson.  If you have something you know needs to get done or something you want to accomplish...just get to it. Our time is precious: we need to make the best of it. Don't wait to fulfill your destiny.  Don't wake up having never chased your dream.

I'll just close up this little philosophical tirade by saying, again, how much I appreciate the support I've gotten from so many friends and supporters -- many of whom, I don't know, and never will.  Well wishes and prayers I've received from family, friends, strangers, prayer groups, prayer chains and more, have helped make the long days of waiting and worry go by a lot faster.  Thanks and God bless.