Multiple Worlds

I always thought I knew how to celebrate the gift of every twenty-four hours but it’s intensified these past five weeks since discovering my husband Wayne needs open heart surgery.

Ever feel like you live in multiple worlds? First the outer world with the interesting people you come in contact with daily. Next the family world – a more intimate connection. And third your inner world – where you and God connect – the inner dialogue, prayer requests, moments of thanks, knowing there’s something divine happening around you, recognizing earthly blessings, maybe even mini-miracles.

I’m spending a lot of time lately in my inner space with God praising Him for revealing my husband’s need for open heart surgery despite having no pain and providing a wonderful doctor and his team to operate on Tues. Sept. 26^th.

We’re learning to trust more deeply - to not let fear strip us of Jesus’ legacy of moment-by-moment peace and to seek a sense of normality midst the abnormal.

I see grace all over in people, places – in particular in my husband Wayne’s serenity in this difficult situation. I see it in the abundant kindnesses of friends and even strangers reaching out to us with both words of comfort and promises to pray Sept. 26th. Thank you! How grateful we are!

And so peace prevails. We wait one more day knowing we’re never alone in our inner world with God.

“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us form the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ” Romans 8: 38-39.

BLESSED FALL!

Below are two pictures taken days ago at BMW PGA Golf Tournament in Lake Forest, IL with daughter Tamara and dinner with our son Dan - two of our precious four children.

Praying for the Middle

Beginnings and endings. Both can be life changing, but endings are harder. Like nevers and forevers they can’t be redone, renegotiated. What ends won’t ever again be as it was. Which is why I’m praying against an ending. Phrases from Psalm 91 are constantly on my lips.  May this aortic aneurysm discovered during my husband’s recent heart ultrasound not be his last chapter. We received news of the fragility of Wayne’s heart as I was about to speak mid-August at the first of three consecutive events over three days. In my prewritten speech EACH TIME I told the women we CAN trust God in all the WHATEVERS of our lives. How I needed to hear myself say this! Trust, faith in God’s love and unending mercy, so easy to say, yet challenging to live. Why is denial such a tempting first response? Surely this diagnosis wasn’t true, it came out of nowhere, no pain.  Soon  the truth settled like a tight cocoon. Then quickly denial turned to gratitude that a routine test blessed us with important knowledge and fortunately modern medicine has a solution. WE PRAY IT'S SUCCESSFUL!    I remember all the moments after our beginning – mutually discovering seven years into our marriage that God is very real and personal and sharing a compelling desire to serve Him, precious times with our four children, grandchildren, extended family and amazing friends, our multiple businesses, twenty years of camps for kids, the golf course we co- owned, the preschool, B & B, our real estate investments and rental properties, the mission trips, the vacations, our joint writing projects, THE BLESSED ORDINARINESS OF MOST OF OUR DAYS. I know an ending must come some day, only not yet please Lord. I’d like more middle in our lives - how I wish I could be the decision-maker here. Open heart surgery is necessary on Sept. 22nd to repair the aneurysm.  Heart cath is planned for this Thurs. Sept. 6. I think of the picture on our bedroom wall, “I don’t know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future.” Only believing this creates a sense of security and peace. Why am I sharing this with you my family, friends and readers? How deeply we appreciate your prayers! Prayer - power of the supernatural kind - is what we need to walk through these days. Prayer for Wayne’s renewed healthy heart and for God to be glorified every step of the way. “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall say of the Lord you are my refuge place and my peace. I will not fear the snare of the fowler nor the deadly pestilence.” Psalm 91: 1 As you enter your fall season, may all your beginnings and endings be good, and the middles too.