Update:
On Friday (3/6) I had my first eye injection using Lucentis for my
macular degeneration and retinal swelling.
Lucentis is the new eye medication that was just approved by my
insurance company. It is pretty amazing
that this drug costs about $2,000 a dose for just a few milliliters (the other
medication I was using only cost about $150 per dose). I think that I already see some improvement
in my vision—that would be awesome. I go
back this afternoon for the injection in my left eye. The real proof of its effectiveness will come
next month when I have my next eye exam prior to that month’s injection. My doctor suspects that I will continue to
need monthly treatments for a couple more years. Most of the patients that I see in the
waiting room look like they are in their 70’s or 80’s to me. I asked the nurse about this saying, “I think
I must be one of the younger patients getting this treatment.” Her response was, “You are our youngest
patient by far for this!” YES! I
am a record setter! Maybe I can get into
the Guinness World Book of Records or something! Honestly, I am VERY thankful that my vision
has made the improvements that it has and seems to have stabilized. More improvement would be nice but I am
grateful for what I’ve got.
We had the air ducts cleaned over a week ago now and have been using
the LP furnace for heat instead of our wood stove. I used to get terrible sinus headaches
whenever the heat was blowing; after having the ducts cleaned I don’t! It isn’t perfect but we made the decision to transition
from wood heat to LP. Without the boys
at home and with all the physical limitations that I face, it has been
difficult using the woodstove. This will
save us a lot of work this summer cutting, splitting, and stacking wood for the
winter (although I will want to get some wood so we can have a fire occasionally). This marks the end of an era—we’ve heated
with wood since the fall of 1999. Sad to
see it go; but I think it is the best.
One of the things that needed to get done was the basement needed to be
cleaned. There was a lot of dust and
dirt from burning the woodstove. Most of
my kids were able to come over and they spent about 5 hours cleaning and vacuuming
on Saturday so that the clean furnace system wouldn’t suck all that stuff back
up. The worst part was taking down all
of the tiles in the suspended ceiling and vacuuming the tops of them and
between all the floor joists. I really
appreciate Kate, Ruth, Jon, and Josh taking the time to do that for me.
Last Thursday I was able to have lunch with Pastor Jerry Cellan from
The Bridge Church. We had a great time
together. Karen and I worshiped with
them on Sunday (3/8). It was their sixth
anniversary as a church. It is awesome to
see what God has done during that time through the faithful service of so many
people, especially Jerry and his wife, Sue.
On Friday, I had lunch with my buddy Rob and Pastor Paul from Jacob’s
Well. We had some great laughs
together! This morning Pastor Scott and
I spent a few hours together. Scott is the
interim pastor filling in for me at Faith church during my sabbatical. All four of these men greatly encouraged me. I am thankful for the time I got to spend
with each of them.
Thought for the Day:
Psalm 81:16 “But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey
from the rock I would satisfy you.”
“One of God’s promises
to His children recorded in Psalm 81:16 is that He will satisfy us with ‘honey
out of the rock.’ Of course, you and I
know that honey is perhaps the sweetest thing that nature can produce; and a
rock is one of the hardest things in nature.
So here we have sweetness coming out of hardness—‘honey out of a rock.’ This is one of God’s promises, and you should
claim it for yourself.” [Warren Wiersbe, The Bumps Are What You Climb On].
Wiersbe goes on to
explain that out of the hardest, most difficult things in life, often good
things, sweet things, occur. One example
of this would be childbirth. From my
wife’s reaction and comments, I don’t think that any person wants to experience
that kind of painful labor; yet upon completion, there is joy because of the precious
child that was born. God can take
whatever awful thing we experience and use it for His purpose in the end. This is well attested in scripture (James
1:2-3; Romans 8:28; example of Jesus, etc.).
We usually cry out and beg for God to remove the ‘rocks’ or difficulties
from our lives. But Wiersbe suggests a
different kind of prayer.
“Right now you may be
going through a hard place. You’ve been
faithfully doing your job, yet you are right up against a rock, and the rock
won’t move. Ask God to give you honey
out of the rock. There is always some
sweetness out of hardness when you let the Lord have His way.” [Warren Wiersbe,
The Bumps Are What You Climb On].
This obviously takes a
step of faith and is a demonstration of trust in the Lord. When we are in pain and discomfort, it is
normal and natural to want to be out from underneath it. We may give up. We strive to change our circumstances. We might lash out in anger and frustration at
the world or whoever we feel is responsible for the “rocks” in our lives. If our situation doesn’t change we can become
upset and bitter. However, God says there
is a different way. Change your
attitude; gain a new perspective; believe that God knows what He is doing and
trust Him. Ask God to provide some “honey”
out of the “rock” you are facing.
Let’s face it. God does not necessarily answer all of our
prayers and take away everything that we don’t like. We are often stuck with what we’ve got. I don’t take that as a sign of God’s
weakness, inability or an uncaring attitude towards our plight. I choose to believe that He sees a bigger
picture and is working behind the scenes to accomplish things in me and through
me and around me although I may be oblivious to what is going on.
With that said, I do
think it is appropriate to repeatedly ask God to change what is happening to us;
but always with the understanding that God is God and we are not. Consequently He may not choose to answer our
prayers in the manner in which we wish.
That is when it necessary for us to believe God and in His promises despite
the outward evidence that we may experience.
It is also with an understanding that God will allow our “rocks” to
remain and use them for His glory.
2 Corinthians
12:7b-10 “…there was given
me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I
pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is
made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly
about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in
weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For
when I am weak, then I am strong.”
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