Circling Back

With all due respect to author Christoper Hitchens, God is great.


-I have officially been back to work for the past few weeks now! While I enjoyed the 7-1/2 weeks of free time, I only received ten weeks worth of salary upon departing my most recent job in early December.

Fortunately, I established a good reputation with a consulting firm with whom I worked about three years ago. They happened to have a client in Bloomington who needed some assistance in the Accounting department until, minimum, the end of March. Thus far I've enjoyed the work as well as the employees within said department. When I tell others of my most recent unemployment exploits, the common inquiry was "weren't you getting nervous that you couldn't find work in all that time?"

In short: No, I wasn't.


-My wife and I decided to visit Spirit of Life Bible Church in Woodbury yesterday. The 150+ person congregation is largely comprised of "refugees" of the church I attended from 1985 through 2001. It was a joy seeing people I've known for more than 25 years that I don't get to see much anymore, including my long-time friend Frank Sanders.

As I wrote last month, Frank was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. What I have learned in the interim is the prognosis for recovery is less than promising. But not surprising, Frank has vowed to battle his disease with every fiber of his being, all the while turning it over to the Lord. It's that old adage of "work like it depends on you and pray like it depends on God."

About five minutes before service was to start, Frank was heading to his customary spot at the pulpit when he noticed my wife and I sitting near the front. In that recognizable booming voice, he said "I thought I saw a shining light in this place!!" Now I wasn't sure if he was referring to my wife's radiant personality or my shaved head. Or both perhaps?

Other then looking a little tired and having lost a bit of weight, Frank was as enthusiastic as ever. No surprise there when you consider the word "enthusiasm" is derived from the roots en — in or within — and theos — God. It means having God within or being one with God.

As I embraced my old friend, I let him know that I am praying for he and his family daily and that I have no doubt in my mind that he will beat this cancer. He then looked me straight in the eye and said with the utmost conviction "I know it."

It was a pretty amazing feeling to know I was witnessing a miracle in progress.

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