May 5 – “Sometimes”

Ah, Monday.  Back with a vengeance.  I was back at the computer, beginning preparations for next Sunday’s worship services and teaching.  I did have a meeting at the church.  Instead of going inside, though, the two of us sat on one of the benches under the retreat center.  The cool Gulf breeze was wafting gently through the air.  It was just … nice.  And this was at 2 in the afternoon.  Maybe a monthly outdoor service is not such a bad idea after we eventually get to return inside. 

Meanwhile, out on the beach, people began gathering.  Traffic began picking up.  And before long the scene was that of a typical summer day on beautiful Galveston Island.  Well, more than typical.  If you add in the traffic from Friday and Saturday, it was more like Memorial  Day weekend had already arrived.  There were cars and people everywhere.  Now, on a usual weekend that would be a big plus, a surge to the local economy.  And I’m sure there were many coffers that increased substantially.  But as you can imagine, with traffic backed up bumper to bumper in both directions on the Seawall, and cars at the 61^st Street exit to the Island stacked up back onto Broadway, and restaurants operating at just 25% capacity, and many retail establishments not yet open at all … it made for difficult if not impossible, feeble attempts at social distancing. 

And on the home front, Chris had a particularly bad day with her leg pain.  She is faithfully doing the exercises she was given, although she can’t really walk even a mile.  She has an MRI of her back already scheduled for the 20^th.  It’s just that the onset of symptoms is so unpredictable.  It all involves pain, of course, but she can’t locate a specific position that causes it to happen every time.  Sometimes her back aches, sometimes it feels fine.  Her legs hurt pretty much all the time, but sometimes it is on the sides below her knees, sometimes it runs all the way to her hip.  Sometimes she feels tingling and numbness down to her toes, sometimes not.  Sometimes she is fine sitting down and then has difficulty standing up.  Sometimes her legs start throbbing enough to wake her up at night.  Sometimes she can move to her back and pull a knee up enough to ease up the pain.  But sometimes she is awake most of the night.  Are you detecting a common thread?  “Sometimes.”  That’s the frustrating thing.  No consistency.  Ah well, we will rough it out until the 20^th and then until her doc appointment the next week.  No choice …

Psalms 130:5 says, “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.”

Father, would you please give Chris some relief?  Amen.