MANUAL RESET

Tuesday, September 7, 2010, Seattle, WA Beautiful sunny day, Indian Summer Begins.

We had a really good trip back to Walla Walla for the weekend. Both Ella and Cleo and their significant others/spouses were there and we got some things done on the ranch which I had been stressing about. I also got to see the Walla Walla High School Blue Devil football team play on Friday night in Hermiston, OR. Sadly, they lost, but will improve over the season. The SE WA fair and Frontier Days/Rodeo were on over the weekend and I went on Sunday PM for the Rodeo and the Footlong Hotdog at the Eagles Food Stand. The Rodeo was long and somewhat tedious, but I was surrounded by friends from the church and we had a good time. The Hot Dog was equally long, but certainly worth its annual appeal. We were able to tear out some old/dangerous fencing in one pasture and completely replace it on Saturday. Having adult children and their partners is a great bonus. Christopher and Johnny worked like troopers. After all, you can't let your aged cancer ridden father-in-law show you up when it comes to driving steel fence posts into the ground. Neighbor Ruth also was a great help and we celebrated with an authentic ranch dinner with most of the food raised or grown on our place. I preached at CPPC at all three services Sunday morning.It was a big surprise for many of those in attendance and we had a good morning. After loading up early Monday morning, we made the pilgrimage to Seattle, surprisingly in 5 1/2 hours, pretty good for a three day weekend return to the city. After watching Boise State come from behind to beat Virginia Tech, we got some sleep and headed off to the SCCA for a 9am consultation with our Physical Therapist, Shawn Israel. Like so many of the staff we have met here, she is a young, highly talented, exceptionally motivated  individual, filled with compassion and hope. She put me through my paces in evaluating my physical strengths and weaknesses. I am in pretty good shape for my age and health problems. It's a good thing she caught me after a summer of building fence, chasing cows, putting up hay and changing sprinklers. I religiously do physical therapy already for my back and I think she appreciated my commitment to staying in shape and the high esteem in which I hold PTs. She grew up in Colorado and I hope we can follow her exercise regimen consistently. The only limitation she placed on my therapy, was to not do much lifting or stretching over my head, which could cause lymphedemia in my neck. We ended the morning with a consultation with our Nutritional Director, Mary. She pretty much reinforced much of what we already do for diet and healthy living. She stressed that this is not a weight loss program, shucks, and that I should do everything I can to maintain my present weight and body strength. Everyone does however, lose some weight, but they want to keep our strength consistent so we can recover from the chemo, in particular. I was delighted to find out that any food that is liquid at room temperature can be counted as fluid. Finally, ice cream is receiving some respect from the medical establishment. Maple Nut, here we come, in moderation, of course.

MANUAL RESET

On my irrigation pump there is a button you push when it doesn't want to run. It's called a reset button and I don't actually know what it does, technically, but, it often gets the pump working again and that's all that matters. I feel like that is what this time in my life is all about. I'm in the process of having a complete life reset. Being forced to live away from home, living a life without constant daily responsibilities, only hearing the phone ring occasionally, instead of constantly, having time to rest, think, pray, read and write; it will inevitable change our lives. I think God knows what he is doing in all of this. There is that amazing promise in the Old Testament, "For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11. That divine promise was given to the people of Israel when they were in exile, at one of the lowest points of their national existence. Maybe that's what Seattle is for me, my own personal Babylon, my place of exile.All of us are aware of attitudes, habits, behaviours and practices in our lives which are unhealthy or destructive. We rationallize their existence, we ignore their consequences, we justify our indolence and we pretend that we will get around to correcting and changing the direction of our lives SOMEDAY! The only problem is that I have never been able to find SOMEDAY on the calendar. We usually only get around to making significant changes in our lives when we don't have any other choices. God paints us into a corner with only One Way out, God's Way. There have always been warning signs. God's Word, advice from wiser souls, a sickening feeling in your gut that tells you "life isn't meant to be lived like this"; we are so busy and overstimulated with gadgets and whistles that we can't even hear that still small divine voice that says:"Draw near, all you who are just barely coping and feel like you are about to come apart at the seams, and I will give you everything you need for life and salvation. Take my life into yours and systematically learn from me; for I am your soulmate and my heart is gentle. Only then will you find shalom; wholeness and peace for your soul. For my life will make your life complete. The great pain and burdens you now bear will seem insignificant when we carry them together." Mt 11:28-30. This is my own translation from the Greek New Testament. Maybe this blog will find some others, like myself in exile; having someone else dictate your daily schedule, what you do, where you go. Facing and making life and death choices you cannot ignore or postpone any longer. Draw near to the God of hope and you will find rest. Robin