Refreshing Oasis

Posted on October 14, 2013 by TJ

Yesterday was quite busy. I had to go to my neighbor’s house in the morning to feed her adorable little dog one last time. She arrived home late yesterday afternoon. After I fed Keno, I did laundry. Later in the afternoon I ran to the store for a few things for JJ. I did, however, have an opportunity to rest on the loveseat for a bit and enjoy the view out the window. I was tired after sleepless nights and the whirlwind of JJ’s emergency surgery.

All summer long we have been trying to buy our winter’s supply of firewood. One thing or another often prevented our getting the wood, so last week we had only about three face cords. We wanted ten face cords for the winter. We found a local guy who was selling firewood, and he even said he’d deliver or no extra charge, so last week EJ called him and arranged for him to bring us wood. He dropped off the wood yesterday evening. It was nice to not have to drive to get the wood, load it in our pickup, and then unload and stack it in our woodshed. This guy just backed his dump truck into our back yard and dumped the wood.

This morning while EJ and JJ slept, I went outside and began stacking the wood. I enjoyed working in the beautiful morning. I got about half of the wood stacked before hunger drove me inside. An hour or so later, EJ helped me stack the rest of it. We now have about 5 1/2 face cords of firewood. We are getting there….

JJ is sleeping quite a bit, but he is recovering very nicely. Last night he ate a footlong Subway sandwich and today he ate a sandwich and then asked for another. After weeks of him not being hungry (we thought it was due to stress from starting college), it’s a joy that he is getting hungry again. “Make you another sandwich, JJ? OF COURSE!”

Two days after we first took him to the doctor, JJ was having emergency surgery. We scarcely had time to take it in. JJ said last night that he keeps expecting to “freak out” about all this now that it is all over, but he continues to feel very upbeat and calm.

I’m quite sure it’s due to all the prayers on our behalf.

The last few years we’ve experienced a lot of difficult things, such as EJ’s Dad dying and his nephew getting killed in Afghanistan. Our spirits were getting tired. A week or so ago, I asked God to please give us a sense of His comforting love. I KNOW God loves us, and I KNOW He is good, but sometimes it’s just nice to be reminded, you know? I mean, a wife might know her husband loves her, but she still wants to be told and shown occasionally, especially when she’s tired and having a bad week. It’s like that.

I wouldn’t have chosen to have my son get cancer (NOT AT ALL!), but through this experience, God has overwhelmed us with His love by the loving support and prayers of people around the world. I know I keep mentioning it, but I have never experienced such an outpouring of love before and I am finding it utterly amazing.

Just before JJ needed surgery, a former co-worker of EJ’s knocked on our door and asked to buy our RV. This gave us extra money going into this emergency. And this morning a friend EJ hasn’t seen in quite some time (I think he moved to a different state a few years ago) knocked on our door and asked EJ if he could buy an item of EJ’s that he wanted. In the last day or so, every time we turn around, something like this is happening.

It’s amazing. It’s refreshing. It’s strengthening. We are joyfully overwhelmed. It’s like being at an oasis after a long hard journey.