The muse shifted yesterday. Saturday morning an email came from one of my college classmates – this requires some explanation. I went to Texas A&M. I was in the Corps of Cadets, Squadron 11. There were 17 of the 40 of us that started as fish in the fall of 1968 that finished as Zips in the spring of 1972. There was a lot of attrition. Those of us who finished – well to say that we went through a lot together would be a significant understatement. We have reunions every 5 years. Our outfit, has the highest percentage of attendees pretty much every time. One of the reasons is the effort the guy who sent me the email Saturday has invested in keeping us in communication.
He is dying.
Pancreatic cancer.
It was in remission, and now it is back with a stage 4 vengeance. Since yesterday morning all of the guys have been responding to his message. As you can imagine the responses are emotional and supportive. For the last year my family has been engaged with my dad’s fight with esophageal cancer. We found out last week that the little that was there in April has grown and spread. So this next week we are starting the chemo fight again.
At the same time we are experiencing the birth and growth of an increasing number of grandchildren. We are watching the closing years of our parent’s lives, hearing of more and more people our age dying, and watching our children have children.
If the Lord tarries, none of us will get out of this gig alive. All of this has conspired to bold highlight Psalm 90:12. Several of the Heaven’s 11 guys responded to our “fish buddy,” that we have to live as if it were our last day on earth – or something close to that. That is the reality of our lives.
The question then we have to ask is are we living our lives, making choices that honor our Lord. For as one of the guys said today. When and if we wake up tomorrow, it may be our last chance.
Pancreatic cancer.
It was in remission, and now it is back with a stage 4 vengeance. Since yesterday morning all of the guys have been responding to his message. As you can imagine the responses are emotional and supportive. For the last year my family has been engaged with my dad’s fight with esophageal cancer. We found out last week that the little that was there in April has grown and spread. So this next week we are starting the chemo fight again.
At the same time we are experiencing the birth and growth of an increasing number of grandchildren. We are watching the closing years of our parent’s lives, hearing of more and more people our age dying, and watching our children have children.
If the Lord tarries, none of us will get out of this gig alive. All of this has conspired to bold highlight Psalm 90:12. Several of the Heaven’s 11 guys responded to our “fish buddy,” that we have to live as if it were our last day on earth – or something close to that. That is the reality of our lives.
The question then we have to ask is are we living our lives, making choices that honor our Lord. For as one of the guys said today. When and if we wake up tomorrow, it may be our last chance.
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