Hebrews 4:1 ~ English Standard Bible, ESV ~ "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Hello, somebody! Rise, shine, and give God the glory. It’s Friday, October 2, 2026, and I bring you greetings from my electronic connection to yours. Yesterday, we made another trip to the Houston Medical Center for a follow-up visit with the doctor who performed the wife’s surgery back in August. The verdict this time: her healing is slow. Too slow to suit her—and she made that clear. I was a participating bystander, since I've done my best to help her follow the prescribed healing agenda. They offered a new way of describing what might be causing her ongoing pain: a “traumatized stomach” from all the moving things around required to accomplish the surgery. We both were up early, left at 9:15 a.m., and arrived at the doctor’s office at 10:15. After seeing this one, that one, and the other, we made it back to our home territory around 12:45 p.m. Had the wailing and gnashing of teeth not been in bumper-to-bumper traffic, I might have called that a pretty good turnaround. Fortunately, I have a beautiful co-pilot. She helps me go where I’m supposed to go, stay in the lane I’m supposed to stay in, and maintain a reasonably good attitude about it all. I actually enjoy traveling with the wife of my youth. I do need to get her completely well because our first fall appearance as Santa and Mrs. Claus is coming up in Arkansas in November. We go back to see the surgeon again next month. What was that cure-all they gave us as kids? Castor oil? I think it worked because, no matter what was wrong with you, you never wanted another dose. Trust me on that one.

 

We returned to our home territory in time to attend a going-home celebration for a dear lady in our local assembly—our Church. She was a fellow choir member and the wife of a wonderful, well-respected man of God. They had been married for 49 years, and her completely unexpected death left our dear brother a widower. This was a stark reminder that none of us knows exactly what a day will bring. It also reminded me how important it is to show our love for one another. The wife and I are approaching 62 years of marriage, and I still marvel at how much she means to me. Saying it is important. Showing it is even more important. My challenge is to love her in the same sacrificial way our Savior loved the Church and gave Himself for it. (Ephesians 5:25) On my way out the door to choir practice, I told her, “Just in case something should happen, don’t ever forget how much I love you.” I sealed it with a kiss. There is some good news here. Our dear grieving brother in Christ is surrounded by people who love and support him. The even better news is that we know with complete confidence where his beloved wife went when she breathed her last. Through the Apostle Paul, God gave us these words: “to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8, King James Version) What a wonderful promise for His own. What say you? I say: Yes and Amen.