Meandering on a Monday

Friday afternoon I stopped by the grocery store on the way home to pick up a few items. On my way to the car my cell phone rang and it was the doctor’s assistant with the results from the MRI. She said the knee was damaged on the outside and the inside with a recommendation for arthroscopic surgery. The doctor’s first opening is May 1st, therefore, as he said last week, if you have been able to tolerate it up to now, maybe you can tolerate a little longer. So, as Charles Barkley once observed, “What we have here is one of those surreal moments, whatever surreal means.” Imagine, after a busy day at the office, you run into the store, run back to your car dodging rain drops, the cell phone rings, and you sit there for a couple of minutes talking about your medical options. Wow! Is this a great country or what? Since hearing the description of the multiple problems found on the MRI images, I do believe the pain has kicked up a notch and my right knee has started to echo some sympathy pains. Joking, I think. At any rate, I’m still able to be upright and mobile and look forward to having this taken care of as soon as we can.

Saturday was our eldest granddaughter’s 20th birthday. We had a little get together after Church services yesterday afternoon in her honor. I can remember when she was born. They brought her into the nursery and our son got them to let me in. There we stood. He was trembling and I was too. Just twenty-three years earlier they had come and announced that we had a big baby boy, now as the two of us stood and looked down at our brand new bundle of joy, we knew something historical and something special had taken place. Within my wife’s family, the birth of this little girl broke a long drought where nothing but boys had been born. My wife had been the last female born and there had been 8 grandsons and one great grandson, but our Tiffany made her debut as the first great granddaughter.

Born in April, I will say her first Christmas with my wife’s family was something we will always remember. After more than twenty years of trucks, cars, tractors, and everything boy oriented, suddenly the pent up longings all came gushing out. There she was, a nine month old completely surrounded by dolls, dresses, tea sets, and girl stuff stacked to the ceiling. She looked like one of those contestants who had chosen the grand prize behind door number three. Our eldest son walked around like he had just planted the flag at the South Pole. She was something special then and still is today.

Twenty years of many ups and downs, hills and valleys, but one thing has been consistent: God’s faithfulness. We played the VHS tape from 1988 for everyone at her party. I’ve not heard so much laughter among all who were present in a long, long time. The children were knocked down by seeing their dads looking and acting so differently. Of course the dress styles, hair styles, and everything in general was all so different, it made for a great time of remembering, reflection, and in the end, being thankful to God that we were all able to come together one more time as a family. Our prayer for our eldest granddaughter is that she, like the Apostle Paul’s advice to Timothy, would seek to live out the faith seen in those family members who have loved and cared for her. We left our eldest son’s home with a sense that God’s goodness and His grace had been on display once again. May God help us to make a difference in someone’s life this week! Have a great week. Amen. ………More later.