Recovery

I posted a video for this blog below. Let me know if this works for you.

Recovery. What does it look like, feel like, and what is the timeline? I have never been through recovery from the removal of a cancerous brain tumor before so this is a new journey. I don’t want to keep my congregation in the dark. I would like my recovery to be short but I am getting a lot of counsel to go slow and allow adequate time to recover. I am working with the elders on this but some of it is being made up as we go along. I have several people guiding me in my process of recovery: my neurosurgeon, my wife and family, the elders, and, of course myself ... and most importantly, God. I am trying to listen.

I mostly think I am getting better and better. Some days I am tired the whole day. Other days, I feel envigorated and think I am ready to tackle the world, but within an hour, I crash and sleep for several hours. Occasionally I have headaches but they are mostly low level and usually go away. I have not had to take pain medication since I was in the hospital. I am grateful for this. I enjoy brief contact with people but can tell that, in a short amount of time, my brain begins to feel over-stressed. I am trying to learn to pace myself and know when it is time to take a nap or at least rest my brain and body. My return to regular responsibilities may have to come a step at a time. Again, I will be working this out with the elders and others. We have discussed the possibility of a Q & A session, possibly on a Sunday afternoon, even before I return to preaching, to give opportunity for some give and take on what has been happening and what we have been learning in all areas of our life. Stay tuned.

Here is a good passage to check out. Matthew 4:21 [NET Bible] Going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. Then he called them. The word used here for mending is a word from which we get our word cauterize. In the first century it was used for mending, for restoration, getting fully prepared. In at least one context outside the New Testament it was used in a medical context for the mending of bones. Check out also Galatians 6:1 where it is used for the mending of the spiritual and emotional life of someone. A lot of us have rushed back into action too quickly after illness or injury only to experience a set back. This is a very interesting journey. I look forward to our time together as soon as I am able. In the meantime, keep the email correspondence coming. The cards you send are wonderful.