Spring Break

No blog last week as the family got away for spring break.  It was my first trip where I left my smart phone at home and disconnected technologically - a great decision.  You might know the saying that “vacation with kids isn’t vacation, just life somewhere else”, but this one was especially enjoyable and provided some good perspective on things. 

Thanks again for the many thoughts, words and prayers.  I’m often asked how I’m feeling and what I’m thinking.  My only physical sensation is a very slight pressure in my right ear like I have a little water in there after a shower or swimming, but it’s so slight that I often forget about it.  My mental and emotional “sensation” is pretty calm and peaceful about the whole thing.  I am thankful that it is relatively minor compared to many other diagnosis and that it is not especially urgent.  At this point, I plan to get another MRI done in June.  I’ve got a business trip in April and a fishing trip with my father and my son in May and don't want to do anything medical until those are past. 

I think the medical waiting has been good for now as I continue to wrestle with God’s interaction in this world on the macro and micro scales, and what the related faithful response looks like day to day & moment to moment.  Spring break has brought some fresh perspective on these.  

We got to spend some time on the beach and the waves and sands are a blessed reminder of God’s consistency, power and mystery - things to be both reverenced and enjoyed. 

Back in Colorado we’ve also enjoyed warm weather and early signs of spring.  I’ve been reminded of the well-known verses in Ecclesiastes 3, “for everything these is a season…” And those verses are much easier to digest with the hope of spring as new life is quite evident in blooming trees and flowers.   The weather has also allowed for our early yard work including the needed trimming and clean-up.  Taya did the lion share of pruning back the rose bushes this year while I took the electric trimmers to some overgrown shrubs.  We cut away the dead, damaged and overgrown to make way for the new.  While we don’t have any grapevines, it’s still an applicable reference to John 15 where Jesus speaks of being the vine and we being the branches.  God is the loving gardener.  It’s a bitter sweet reference of course. 

What does this season bring and what should we do?  I love the word picture and clues given in John 15 – abide in Christ’s love, be filled with joy and love each other.  Have a blessed spring!