Since February 2013 our family has been dealing with the reality of cancer. I know that there are many that are dealing with that reality. One trip to MD Anderson drives that point home in no uncertain terms.
We have been there, I think this is the sixth time, I may be off one. Each time we take my dad to get his PET scan and my brother and I and twice my wife, wait with him to see the Doctor to find out what is next in this journey. It is not a fun day. The last three times the result is that the cancer is still present, growing, but not at the point where dad needs to start the chemo again. As a result he is getting stronger by the day.
To that point we played nine holes of golf Friday. It was his first time on the golf course for over a year. It was good. It is hard to drive the seven hours down there and back, to reschedule the week, to do conference calls from dad’s office rather than mine, to work off his computer with only one monitor when I am used to three. He always thanks me for coming. It is a bit embarrassing for two reasons.
First, Luke 17:9 – 10, I am only doing what I should be doing. None of the things I have to reschedule or work around are really worth mentioning. Whatever my dad needs I need to provide. Bottom line, it is my responsibility.
Second, in reality it is my brother who has borne most of this load. He lives only an hour away from dad. He has spent most of each week with dad since last February. I have not been able to get down there as much as I wanted to give him a break.
The point of all this is that there are seasons in our lives that we set aside what we are “supposed” to be doing. It is part of life. It is part of being a father or a son or a grandfather. It is part of the job we have been given as members of a family. It may not be our strength, it is certainly not mine, but we do it, do it gladly, and do it to the best of our ability.
We do it as Colossians 3:17, 23, says and Philippians 2:4, tells us to, as to the Lord and putting others ahead of ourselves.
To that point we played nine holes of golf Friday. It was his first time on the golf course for over a year. It was good. It is hard to drive the seven hours down there and back, to reschedule the week, to do conference calls from dad’s office rather than mine, to work off his computer with only one monitor when I am used to three. He always thanks me for coming. It is a bit embarrassing for two reasons.
First, Luke 17:9 – 10, I am only doing what I should be doing. None of the things I have to reschedule or work around are really worth mentioning. Whatever my dad needs I need to provide. Bottom line, it is my responsibility.
Second, in reality it is my brother who has borne most of this load. He lives only an hour away from dad. He has spent most of each week with dad since last February. I have not been able to get down there as much as I wanted to give him a break.
The point of all this is that there are seasons in our lives that we set aside what we are “supposed” to be doing. It is part of life. It is part of being a father or a son or a grandfather. It is part of the job we have been given as members of a family. It may not be our strength, it is certainly not mine, but we do it, do it gladly, and do it to the best of our ability.
We do it as Colossians 3:17, 23, says and Philippians 2:4, tells us to, as to the Lord and putting others ahead of ourselves.
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