This blogging has allowed us to renew old friendships and make some new ones. Tonight an old friend called from Australia! Great to hear your voice friend!
It really has impacted us in a significant way. In our busy life Deb and I have discussed at times that we felt that if we disappeared probably no one would miss us. We have long suffered from feelings of rejection and being disconnected in spite of us living hard in our work,church, and hobby lives. Our pastor regularly has told us these are common feelings in society today. We aren't living in Mayberry anymore. Does this make sense? Anyone else ever feel that way?
Anyway, with this unwanted spotlight of this cancer-issue suddenly entering our life and forcing us to slow down and become more vulnerable out of necessity, we've re-discovered a very important thing.
Many folks actually love us! What a gift!
Thanks friends! And thanks for tolerating a renewed desire on my part to live and speak truth openly and with transparency. I suspect it makes some of us, including me, at times queasy and may even seem overdone. Perhaps it is my way of coping with an area that many men have trouble with: the emotional side of life. Ladies, can I hear a hearty amen?
Vern
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Dear Deb and Vern,Wonderful news about the insurance. Just want you to know we are here with you this evening......with love and appreciation, David and Linda Swindall
ReplyDeleteAmen!It is such a joy to see you answering the call with love to serve Deb in her time of greatest need. And by living and speaking truth openly you encourage us all. Keep up the good work, faithful servant. Many prayers for relief from pain and a restful night for our sister Deb.
ReplyDeleteJulie and Randy
Amen :) And I would most certainly miss you, Vern. I appreciate all that you are saying -- it was very obvious to our family when we were losing Daddy that God will clear the way for you to SEE and know the important things. In addition, He will give you the strength and comfort you require to see it all through. I often asked while we were in the midst of our worst struggles, "How do people do this without faith?" I'm sure I don't ever want to know the answer. God bless you all.
ReplyDeleteBarbara Voss said...
ReplyDeleteAMEN, brother! But actually, Vern, reading yours and Deb's blog reminds me SO MUCH of the time(s) we went through with John's brain tumor (but we had no blogs at that time--I was just learning how to play solitaire:) and check emails!
We visited with you and Deb right after that, and you reminded us of Joshua 4 and the stones of remembrance. Our desire at the time was to NEVER FORGET how God had reached out to reveal HIMSELF to us in ways we had never even imagined! Much of that was through the love of our friends over all the places He had led us! We have a memorial stone (really, a trophy) on which we have engraved Nahum 1:7, the verse John held on to during the surgery, the recovery, and his return to aviation. It says, "The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, And HE KNOWS those who take refuge in HIM."
I often tell people that the greatest part of that whole event was how God brought us face to face with our greatest fears, most of which we could have never expressed the week before as even being a fear. As we faced our fears and could so incredibly see that God was still much, much BIGGER than the darkness we faced, the struggles we endured, or the fear we dreaded--that He really was enough! As C. S. Lewis put it, God took our head knowledge and made it heart knowledge.
I can only imagine how you and Deb are seeing God's face (not just his back as He passes by) but the face of our Father, as you are embraced in His loving arms of refuge!
I, too, miss Mayberry--sitting on the front (not the back) porch, daddy playing the guitar and singing as a family (even those of us who could not sing:)), the neighbors dropping by, people knowing other people's business--and caring about it! Mayberry has changed. Now, we drop by over a blog to rekindle the friendships that mean so much to us. But, eternity is still written in our hearts. We don't know everything that looks like, but since we know God is a RELATIONAL God, we can be certain we will have good, strong, healthy relationships! I am ready for that!
Please know you and Deb are in our hearts, and in our prayers. We love you guys so much!