Patience in Suffering

Mike continues to fight off this cough and cold, but we are so thankful that his fever stayed under control all day. He is tired and a little disappointed to be feeling so sick on his "rest" week. However we are thankful that this cold did not hit during his treatments.  It is a learning process for us to surrender our expectations regarding the trajectory of  his illness and treatment. It is an adjustment to be removed from our usual spheres of work and interaction. There is no doubt that this process is uncomfortable for us both, but we do believe that God will use this season to do good things in ourselves, our family and our friends. We have seen glimpses of it already.

I felt very tired today and slightly overwhelmed by the treatment ahead of us. As I was praying tonight God lead me right to a passage in James. The heading at the top of this group of verses is summarized as "patience in suffering". Right now Mike and I would love to be able to push the fast forward button on the weeks of chemo that lay ahead, but God is teaching us patience and endurance instead.

James writes, "Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy" James 5:10-11

Thank you all for your encouraging comments, gifts, and prayers. I am always uplifted when I think of all our friends who are praying.