The Game of Life

For Christmas, LM got The Game of Life.  Of course, after you graduate from college one of the choices for a career is brain sturgeon.  Everyone wants to be the brain surgeon because it is one of the top paid jobs.  This is my awkward segue for my blog post today.

I have a very good friend, a mom of a family that we have the privilege of doing life with, who is recovering, today, from successful brain surgery that took place yesterday.  Three weeks ago she thought she needed glasses.  Two days after that she found out she had a mass on her brain, sitting on her optic nerve.  A few days after that, she was not only blind in one eye but going blind in the other.

She is a sweet, sweet mother of four children.  Her kids and their gender match up with my children.  Girl 12, girl 10, boy 7 and girl 6.  We camp together, do ballet together, read books together, share life together.

We have prayed and cried and talked and laughed.  We have helped and encouraged and just been there. Yesterday we prayed.  All day.  For the doctors, for the nurses, for her husband and the kids.  For those who are helping this family.  For each other.

And the good news just kept coming in.  Successful 5-6 hour surgery.  The doctor was able to get all the tumor.  They still think it is benign.  She most likely won't have to have any type of radiation.  And great responsiveness after the surgery.  As of today, the prognosis is good.  The most delicate part is over but it will be a long day, a long week, a long month, 6 weeks, if not more to go.

This is the real game of life.  I just finished the book 11/22/66.  One of the lines in the book that was repeated more than once was "Life changes on a dime."  No truer words have been spoken.  Let's face it, we don't ever know what tomorrow may bring.  Heck, we sometimes have no idea what the next hour may bring.

I know my faith has grown deeper.  My trust has grown stronger.  Not because I understand, but because I believe.  We are here on this planet but for a blink of an eye.  This is temporal.  All our troubles and trials.  All of our joys.  This is just temporary.

But, I also know in this short life on earth it is full of miracles, of all kinds.  I have witnessed so many just in the last three weeks.  Life is precious.  I am thankful for my friends and family.  And I am eternally grateful for knowing that when hard times come, which I know they will, I am not alone. . .