While heading back to the office after lunch this week, I dialed Mom as I often do while driving. Sunday is Father’s Day, and I could tell that she was having a hard day thinking about another year without him. It’s been 8 years since Dad was with us. In some ways it gets easier; and at other times, it’s just as a hard. With tears filling my eyes in that moment, I realized this was one of the hard days.
Hanging up the phone, I pulled into the church parking lot where people were arriving for an afternoon memorial service. A faithful, 51-year-old member of our church lost a hard-fought battle to cancer. His fellow airline pilots arrived in their uniforms to honor and celebrate his life with the rest of our church family.
In the same moment when I was thinking about this faithful man, my thoughts shifted to another member of our church who is currently right in the middle of their own battle with cancer. In a matter of just a few moments, life reminded me of its fragility. There are no guarantees.
I walked in to the office ready to tackle the “next thing” on my very full calendar. However, in that moment, the Holy Spirit gently reminded me to slow down for a moment. The things that often fill our days have little significance in the big picture of life. Take a moment and smell the coffee. In just a moment, everything can change.
This week I am reminded that relationships matter, people are important, and schedules can be adjusted. I am reminded to not get so busy to forget about what really matters. Life is short and people matter.
yes my boss’s son had cancer when he was 7 had a cadaver bone placed in arm and had chemo treatment it was in remission but — now at 18 cancer came back in his jawbone–( he had a scholarship to play french horn) and he had major surgery – first to remove tumor in his jawbone.part 2 was they made a jawbone out of his fibula bone – all his teeth were removed on that side and his skin graft was from his thigh – I believe to give him a gum.
i will send you his picture – he is doing remarkably well but as you stated sometimes – life sometimes just stinks.
Being a mom – my heart was breaking for her and her son.
His attitude was great – he was going to pick up his french horn to see if he could play — mind you– they were not able to replace the nerves – so it is numb.
Please put them on your list for a prayer team.
The mom is Lisa
Husband is Kevin
and her son’s name is Dominic.
Thank you and thanks for the post.