A slap in the face and I'm wide awake

CoffeeBreak is guest written by my son, Sean, and is a thoughtful piece about a response to crisis. One my recurrent themes over the last decade has been taken from where the Spirit urges every Christian to be "making the most of every opportunity." (Ephesians 5:16, NIV)  What do you do with the situations, good and bad, that come your way? Sean is right. The Scott family has taken a hit and, by God’s grace, we’re not letting it destroy us.  By the way, he says some stuff about his Dad being heroic. You can discard that part. (smile)  Take it away, son.

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So mom got back from another trip to the hospital today. We're all doing a happy dance now that she's found her way over another hill. Cancer and it's treatments are just that; running up one hill, relieved to hit the top, only to see the next hill right in front of you. But as trying as this time is, as heart-wrenching as it is to watch helplessly as mom fights this alone (physically), our family is experiencing real beauty. No one cares about the idiosyncrasies of the other anymore. No one is focused on who said what to whom. No one is talking about the hardships in our lives. Why? Because all the dumb stuff has become so small in comparison to what we are now facing together.

Our family has always been strong. I've never doubted where I've come from or the love we have. We're an opinionated, often brash, but loving family. (Poor mom is the quietest of us all.  – smile-  She's always trying to keep the peace whenever waves roll through.) But in the past years, as we've all become "busy" with our own lives, we've taken for granted the family unit. We've all chosen ourselves more times than we've chosen the family. And that's not bad, just a normal response when all is good. You think that other visits and holidays will come and you'll take the time then.

But sickness came and shook us all awake. It has broken us from the slumber of contentment of doing "enough" with each other; meeting the minimum requirements for visits and phone calls. Instead, I read texts everyday from everyone. I talk to my brother about priorities and taking care of mom and dad. It's unveiled a side of my dad that is nothing short of heroic. He's broken but steadfast, taking each day as it comes, loving my mom in incredible ways in his actions and care. Without saying a word, he's showing us what loving your wife in sickness and health means. Every day, I think of mom and all she is to our family. I think about what she's given and see that she is giving once again to us is a way she never saw coming. She, through the pain of her sickness, is bringing our family together. She's reminding us how important we are to the other and to remember that. She's centering us. I see my sister, 8 months pregnant, being a champion for my mom's spirit, calling twice a day to keep her hope alive; such a critical job in this time.

And I see the faith in all of us being tested. We don't see answers but that's ok. We're not flailing blindly at God. This time has brought us all back to simply trusting in a loving God that our family has been built around. It's about TRULY believing that He has a plan and purpose, not ours but His no matter what may come.  It's so much easier to say, "Your will be done . . " as a family. Thank you, Mom, for giving this to us. We love you deeper and fuller than you will ever know.

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Thank you, Sean. 

So where are you today?  Is your way smooth, the day bright?  Rejoice, give thanks, and don’t get self-absorbed!  

Is your way littered with obstacles, darkened by grief or disappointment?  Pray, trusting His grace.  Let others love you.

Here’s the word from the Word.

"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights." (Habakkuk 3:17-19, NLT)