I'm still dealing with the aftershock of a 6.0!

It is Friday, August 14, 2009, and last time I checked, my beard was still growing. This weekend, yours truly will be celebrating my 63rd year (plus 9 months) here on the planet as provided by the grace of God. Blessed beyond measure is about the only way to explain what has been a bumpy ride throughout these years, most of which have been spent with a remarkable woman at my side. Yesterday, weary from not having heard anything from my last doctor’s visit, I called and asked about my lab report. While the detail statistics along with my doctor’s notes are coming in the mail soon, I did ask about the big number. That number comes from the Glycosylated Hemoglobin Test (H1AC) as it is the tell all for a diabetic over the past sixty to ninety days. You would likely have to be a diabetic to understand its significance. The young admin assistant to my doctor quietly read the number. It was 6.0. What did you say? It was 6.0! It was what? 6.0!!!!!!!! That, my friend, is the top end of normal for people being checked for diabetes and while I have managed to get it down to 6.2 once, I never dreamed I would ever see a 6.0. In fact, I was expecting a 6.4 or 6.5 but all I can do is thank God for helping achieve this number after a two-year battle. Again, only a diabetic could understand how a number like this would make one giddy. When I hung up the phone I knew how an Olympian must feel when they get a perfect score. After calming down I then returned to doing what I can to maintain something close to that number. I looked up several charts on the internet. One said: Our goal: 6.0 or less! Happy Birthday to me, and thank you, Lord!

I will try to maintain my excitement about this number because when I get the rest of the notes, who knows what other news there may be? Sixty-three years of taking three steps forward and two backwards but even a snail eventually arrives somewhere. My testimony is that of a man unashamedly grateful for God having reached down in love through His Son to save ‘a wretch like me’. I am grateful for the wife I have. I am grateful to still have my mom and my stepfather around to visit with. I am grateful for my boys, their wives, my grandchildren, and my unborn great grandchild. I won’t go down a list of things I wish I would have done differently or could do over because it would be a very long list indeed. However, I am glad to be able to do what I can today to influence my loved ones and others with the message of God and His love.

Since old people tend to wax on and on, and since I am an even more well trained wax on and on guy than the next, I wanted to share some of what I will call special presents in my life in view of it being my birthday this coming Sunday. My mom and dad, Jose and Lena Chavez; my wife Marilyn and her family who have stood by me and up for me for over forty-five years; my sisters Frances and JoAnn and my brother Donald; the memory of my baby sister Kayla and older brother Jimmy; the contributions to my life made by my grandparents, Andrew Rancher and Gertrude McMillan; my boys, Chris, Jimmy, Rodney; their wives, Sherrie, Mindi, and Mitzi; my grandchildren Tiffany and her husband J. C. along with their unborn child, Brittany and Stefani; Jimmy Jr., Alesha, Amanda, and Alexander Benjamin; Kyleigh, Lexie, and Brady; a very special child, Danielle, and her parents Connie and Weldon; my uncles and aunts; my loving brothers and sisters in our local fellowship of believers; my blog readers and so many others throughout my life who have helped me along my journey. Thank you all. Thank God. And may He bless me with the motivation to serve Him in an even greater way than I have during the past 63 years. Amen. One more time: What about that 6.0? Is that something, or what? Have a great one and may God bless! ….More later.