Took It To The Limit

I am still trying to come to grips with my current health situation. Over the past two months I have had brain surgery to remove a pretty large tumor and have had a couple weeks of whole brain radiation therapy. As a result I have very little strength and nearly no stamina. This is very frustrating to me.

Chris had been at Furman University in Greenville S.C. all this past week attending their Band and Orchestra Camp. This was a week packed full of auditions, classes, private lessons, rehearsals and, at the end of the week, performances. Chris has attended this camp every summer for the past several years and it is something he, Pat and I look forward to. Chris participated in three different bands at the camp this year, the Jazz Ensemble, the Symphony Orchestra and the Wind Symphony Orchestra. Thursday evening the Jazz Ensemble performed and Friday afternoon the Symphony and Wind Symphony performed.

Pat and I decided to travel to Greenville (about a three hour drive) on Thursday, enjoy the Jazz band Thursday evening, spend the night in Greenville, listen to the other bands Friday afternoon, and then return home early Friday evening. Sounds like a quick, easy, and enjoyable trip. Well, not quite. As it turned out, before we left for Furman University on Thursday I spent about three hours at my Medical Oncologist’s getting a couple of bags of fluids in an effort to raise my blood pressure. This was an unexpected visit but we took it in stride. When we finally left the doctors office we headed straight to Greenville. Pat did all the driving and I napped in the car as we traveled but by the time we checked into our hotel in Greenville I was still pretty tired. Very soon after checking in we headed over to the university to watch the Jazz Band. They were great and Chris did a wonderful job.

By the time we got back to the hotel it was nearly 11:00 pm and I was absolutely exhausted. I didn’t sleep well Thursday night and by Friday morning it was pretty obvious that Friday’s activities were out of the question for me. We talked with Chris and told him that we were heading home and skipping Friday’s performances. He understood and assured us that it was fine with him. I felt that I was letting both him and Pat down and became frustrated that we couldn’t be there for him. To add to the frustrations Chris was awarded the “Outstanding Musicians Award” after the performances on Friday and we were not there to see it.

I took it to the limit and could take it no further. Oh well.

Now I know that God has commanded me to endure and let my light shine and I will continue to do just that. I view these past couple of days as just another example (test?) of the things that we must endure and we will. But it still frustrates me.

My mother, God bless her, is a very wise women. (I only wish I realized that when I was a teenager.) She has told me many times over recent years to do what my body tells me to do. If my body says “rest” then I should take its advice and rest. Well, that is what my body was telling me to do and, because of my mother’s advice, I conceded to leaving Greenville without staying for all of the performances and then see the award given to Chris. I believe that, in the long run, it was the best thing to do. And you know, I also believe that God speaks to us in many different ways and I believe that he used my mother and her wisdom to tell me what I should do.

Lord, thank you for your ongoing grace and for guiding us along our journey. You are a mighty God and we will follow you wherever you lead us.


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