When life gives you lemons...

We've been praying for a long time that God would show us clearly whether or not we should move. At the same time, we've been making plans and taking steps to do exactly that, and the sooner the better. And then God reminded us that we are not in charge of our lives, and all of our plans need to have the disclaimer "if God so wills" attached to them. As it so happens, we may have been acting presumptuously, and not walking in faith.

Yesterday morning a surgeon removed two tumors from my wife. We haven't heard from the lab yet, but her doctor is already making plans for chemo-therapy 'as a precaution'. And suddenly, leaving a job with medical benefits, a generous salary and lots of time off, no longer seems wise. We are in a daze, but the family and friends around us have turned it up a notch. I haven't cooked or had to worry about my two youngest children all week. Our church and my wife's family has anticipated and supplied every possible need we have. Guys from work even (!) have added their hugs and prayers to the constant phone calls we've recieved wishing us well. Truly our cup runneth over.

Maybe the community we've been craving is - right here. Maybe we were too blind to see it until now; or, even worse, just took it for granted. But God has opened the eyes of the blind, has caused the lame to walk, and we are confident that He is well able to heal my spiritual blindness and my wife's body as well. We look forward to more gracious lemons from the Most High. They make a fine bitter-sweet lemonade; quenching yet also sobering and instructive.