Road Trip

When Barb and I are driving around and suddenly a traffic signal turns yellow before us I take a very negative perspective of the situation. "We'll never make it. Not a chance. We'll never get there in time," I say.

Then we typically do.

It's odd. Don't ask me. I don't know much about it. But I've found if I expect the worst I'm pretty darn thrilled when the best happens instead.

I think I like to live in the reality that not everything is going to go just the way I want - and that's OK because I'm prepared for it.

I know there are a lot of high hopes that the doctor I am meeting with in New York City will have access to something magical that will turn my cancer journey around. I wouldn't be going on this trek if I didn't think that was a possibility. But, all in all, I'm not expecting any miracles. It's like the yellow light, I never expect that I'll get there before it changes red.

It sounds like a negative spirit. But it is really part of an overall spirit in preparation for it all. If you're just bubbly with positive anticipation all the time life will find ways to consistently let you down. Having some expectations that things will not always go well are part of learning to live life with a positive expectations while being grounded in the realities of our lives. In other words, you prepare yourself to live well whether it be through great times or tough times. Life will bring both to your door.

One very real story about Sloan-Kettering in NYC which fills me with hope is the experience of one of our church members. She fealt as though she was down to her last straw when her son took her to the big cancer center for the first time. But from that visit everything started to change. The doctor recommended a drug for her cancer that the FDA itself hadn't recommended yet for that cancer. Before long she had gone from a slump of fabric in a corner pew to walking into the church with her head held high and a tap in her step.

"Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come, thine will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven,
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us for our tresspasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation.
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory. Amen."

I'll let you all known how we made out on this blog on Wednesday.

We'll never make that yellow light, never, never make it - HEY! We did!