Journeys 7-8-12

Journeys

7-8-12

I’ve always considered this Journeys article in the bulletin to be kind of a personal letter to my congregations.  This week this is true more than ever.

See, I’ve been debating if and how to tell you this.  I am basically a pretty private person.  And I’ve not always been the best at asking for help when I need it.  Though through these “Journeys” and in preaching, I believe God has stretched me to share my own journey as a way of getting you to maybe see your own journey in a way you hadn’t thought of before. And I’ve found that I can write some things a whole lot easier than I can say them.  So I’m writing this now, cause when I think about saying it out loud, the tears start to flow.  And I don’t want to be embarrassed by my tears.

See, I would like for you to pray for me.  This week, on Tuesday, in Lincoln, I’m getting a biopsy done on my prostate gland.  My Dad had prostate cancer when he was in his early 60’s.  His older brother had been diagnosed with it after it had spread beyond the prostate gland.  In the end, my Uncle Bill died after that cancer spread to his bones and brain.  So my Dad has said that his brother saved his life by getting him to get his prostate checked out.  So when they found cancer in Dad’s prostate, it was still contained within the gland and removing it removed the cancer.  He didn’t need any further radiation treatment or anything.  And he’s still out there preaching at the age of 82!  Now, my PSA numbers are high for someone my age, so the next step is to go in and sample some tissues for cancer.  This kind of cancer has a genetic component.  It tends to be passed down from one generation to the next.

I think my tears are about my fear of cancer.  I’ve seen how cancer can take a healthy body and grind a life to a halt.  I may get lucky and they’ll find nothing to be concerned about.  If they do find something, then we’ll talk about the options on what to do next.

I do believe that your prayers for me will make a difference.  I believe that prayers for another are a way of extending our caring across the space that separates us.  I’ve had multiple experiences when other peoples’ prayers helped me make it through a crisis.  This may or may not be a crisis.  But I ask your prayers for me and my soul in the midst of the biopsy process.  Its about the fear of the unknown.  There’s the test, the waiting for the results, and finally the conclusion of the lab work.  Thank you for praying for me this week.  It means a lot.

Grace & Peace,