An Anchor in Glory

Hopefully this finds you enjoying the ever multiplying signs of Spring. Ever since we came back from Tennessee we have been especially yearning for it and we aren’t acknowledging any weather reports to the contrary! :o) Emily heard a bird chirp this morning and she exclaimed, “That is a Spring bird!” There is no mistaking a Spring bird from the steady winter birds. There is a certain defiant vibrancy to their music! Then Em and I get out our Vivaldi and Dvorak and find the exact pattern, I call it a trill or grupetto, Em just plays it by ear on her violin. Mama and I picked out flower seeds and planted them and now we stare at the blank, steamy flats and literally will them to germinate. :o) 

Mama’s treatments have gone well this week. Her radiation oncologist is pleased with how she is caring for her burns which continue to be manageable. Mama also says she is not too unusually tired yet, which we are all thankful for. We met with the physical therapist again and she remarked again on Mama’s cording which is quite painfully visible all the way through her arm and wrist whenever she extends it. The therapist observed it is a pretty “hardy” case but assured us she always sees it go away within a year. The radiation oncologist thinks differently; she sees it stay permanently sometimes, so we’re praying for quick and effective healing. Thankfully, Mama’s arm is not so painful as it was two weeks ago so she doesn’t have to take pain medication to make it through radiation treatments any more. We saw a little boy named Roger going through radiation today, he had the most cheerful good-natured smile and was a joy to everyone around him. I saw what a treasure a genuine smile is and what a gift it is to those who receive it. 

Last night, Daddy was talking about trust and he described a familiar scenario for an illustration; a toddler is shopping with his daddy and as they walk through the store he has a tight hold of his parent’s hand. At some point he loses hold of that hand and you can tell everything is a bit tenuous but as long as he is near his daddy’s side he still feels pretty sure of himself. If that same child suddenly realizes he has lost sight of  Daddy in the middle of the crowd, he is horrified and... well, I’m sure we can all sympathize with his reaction! :o) Daddy explained this is like our closeness to Jesus, the farther we stray from Him the more confused and fearful we become. The inverse is likewise true; the nearer we are to Him the more we draw from His sustaining love and rest in His goodness. We are confidant He knows the number of our days to which we cannot add or subtract an hour by human effort. How wonderful it is God gave us fathers who represent a part of Him so we can understand better who He is!