I have mentioned before the Biblical principle that prayer is a two-way street.  The benefit certainly applies to the one prayed for; but the benefit also applies to the one praying.  Let’s call it a win/win process.  There is also a Biblical principle found in II Corinthians 1:3 “Blessed be the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, Who comforts us in our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” Paul repeats in verse 7, “Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.”  Let’s call it a suffering/solace process.  When the Bible repeats itself, is redundant, says the same thing again, or reiterates (like I have just done), it’s time to pay attention.

About three years ago I taught a class that I called “Sovereignty, Suffering, Solace.”  One goal was to catch a glimpse into why our sovereign, loving God allows suffering.  Another goal was how to receive and give solace, or comfort, like in II Corinthians 1.  I and most in the class were not suffering at the time.  But we all knew the time would come for some kind of suffering to enter. I used Michael Card’s book A Sacred Sorrow as a resource in which he said about suffering, “It was a shadowy path that began outside the garden.  It meanders through our lives, inevitably leading us through the darkest valleys of our fallen existence.  But we must never forget that it is a path, that it is going somewhere.”  Well, I am getting to know this “path” of illness pretty well.  Thank you for helping me start it, follow it, and ultimately, get to that “somewhere.”

I completed the fifth of six chemos three days ago…so far, so good with mild side effects.  I am so thankful for a great care-giver in Nancy, for faithful prayers, and for a faithful prayer-Hearer.  So, the current plan is for one more chemo on May 8 and two more spinal taps to inject a medicine for prevention.  A PET scan will be done be done in mid-May to access the lymphoma status.

Love you all,

Dave/Daddy/Granddaddy/Doc Dave