Thursday, January 16, 2020

January 16 – “One final, crucial necessity …”


Panama Canal Cruise countdown … three days …

Well that was an early morning wake-up call.  Actually it wasn’t a wake-up call per se.  I just … woke up.  At 4:50 a.m.  I did try to go back to sleep.  Thought I had been successful, too.  Until I rolled over a second time and it was all of 5:13.  That’s enough.  I just got out of bed and started my day.  Gave me some quiet time to pray and go over the sermon for Sunday again.

When Chris finally joined me, we went into Texas to pray with Seasider Sam before a surgery she was having.  We could tell she was in good hands, too.  Truly the hospital’s A-Team.  Both nurses working to get her ready had names that started with the letter “A”.  Amy and April.  True to A-Team expectations, all went well with the surgery.

Meanwhile we got a text from Nathan and April asking if we would like to join them for Cailyn’s eleven-year-old birthday lunch.  Hard to resist for Chris when they mentioned Salsa’s.  They had me at “birthday.”  Can’t resist a party, you know.

Then it was back into packing mode.  Gotta get everything ready for departure come Sunday after church.  Last night we set up with our neighbor friends to get our mail and take care of Freddy.  Kel and his crew will be coming in at least once a week when he preaches at Seaside.  Nathan and April will stop in a time or two as well.  We want as much traffic around here as we can get. 

We also made that inevitable trip to WalMart for some fruit to get us through Sunday and for whatever other last-minute stuff we needed.  Hand lotion.  A water bottle to replace the one I lost in Alaska.  And a pair of sunglasses that fit over my regular glasses.  I have one pair, but I have bene wanting one to keep in the truck.  And of course to take on the trip. 

And then came the final trip.  This one to Target for one last thing.  The final piece to the puzzle.  That one item that stood between us and actual packing day.  What could this elusive, yet crucial necessity be?  A package of underwear.  For me. I’m all set now …

Psalms 143:10 says, “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”

Father, thanks for neighbors we trust.  And please stay with Sam as she walks through coming chemo treatments.  Amen.

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