Updated 5/6/10 Day 178

Dear friends,

Dr. Bagchi (our very own Bob the Builder) was glad to see Smitty today, gussied up in his work clothes, walking upright and asking about sunscreen for that wicked ugly scar on his leg. Turns out he only needs to sunscreen it well, and he can go in a pool, or in the ocean, but no hot tubs. Tomorrow he’ll be notified of his surgery date, and while Steve’s under general anesthesia Dr. B. will also manually manipulate his shoulder to break up the scar tissue and try to get he shoulder moving. As Steve put it “he was all over that idea”. Of course, Dr. B. gave the caveat that there’s always the risk he could rebreak the shoulder trying to fix it. Nice. I think we’ve had our fair share of broken bones, thank you very much. But if I trust anyone, I trust the guy who spent many hours in the O.R. with Steve when he wasn’t just at risk of a break, but of death. And I trust the One who made the fellow holding the scapel and the one being scapeled (not a real word). Besides, some risks are worth taking. The trick is to figure out which ones…

After yesterday’s art post, I practiced what I preached, and spent the morning with young masters Noah (3) and Ian (5), with the watercolor paper, paints and some picture books of animals. Both boys really wanted to paint cows. So cows it was. These were not your ordinary cows. These were colorful cows; these were “out of the box” cows. I personally did a landscape with trees, a swing set and a bicycle. It was worlds of fun. Then, we went for a walk and saw Jack the dog, and I thought how grand an artist the Great One is as displayed by the animal kingdom. Think about a dog. Then think about all the different varieties of canines. Absolutely an artistic feast. Amazing.

Tomorrow I will loiter in an entirely different artistic venue, the kitchen. I am searching the cookbooks for some new dessert to make for tomorrow night’s worthy extravaganza. What might that be, you ask? None other than the information night for Mercy Medical, the compassionate dream (now reality) of the Guilzon family from right here in our home town. Mark G. is a physician’s assistant who heard the call of the Great One, along with his wife and exceptionally bright and witty children, to build a medical clinic where he gets paid with a chicken, if he’s lucky. These folks humble me to the core, leaving the comforts of America to live in the middle of nowhere to care for folks the world has forgotten. Feel free to come out for some yummy dessert, with no pressure to open your pocketbook. But you won’t find a better place to deposit your green where people of integrity will use it for good. Click on the church link on this blog for details. And if you come, try my dessert…if you dare.

We continue to climb the winding road. For now, the incline is much less steep than it was almost 6 months ago. I hope when the next tough uphill comes along, I’ll be stronger and better conditioned for the exercise. There are some moments when I am again struck by the heartache of it all, and then by its wonder. I still wish, without wavering, that Steve, and especially Hannah, had never experienced such a nightmare. I wish my boys had not either. But there’s nothing for it. The wishing doesn’t change a thing. What I will say is this: “I have seen the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Good has fought its way up from the deep waters and taken a breath when it was threatened with drowning. A man on life support now puts on his tie (with difficulty, but he does it!) and makes an honest living. A young girl in a coma is now tutoring a classmate in Spanish (for money!) and studying for her AP History exam, despite the dragons she has yet to slay. But slay them she will.

May all your dragons be undone too. There is a Savior who specializes in destroying those dark monsters. He beat them to smithereens on the cross.

Your friend on the pilgrim road,

Loriann