Conversation to Treasure

Hello all:

Dad's hearing, with the help of some heavy-duty hearing aids, is quite good considering! I sat on the couch next to his recliner for much of the weekend, and we watched movies and talked about anything that came to mind.

Even as we celebrate this *wonderful* little miracle, Dad's bone cancer grows more painful. We tried everything--heating pad, 8-hour tylenol, his prescribed pain medication...but there was little relief.

We wish so much that we could ease his aches and pains. If only we could wave a magic wand and give him even a few hours of relief. And yet, each progression of the cancer reminds us that Dad's body is only temporarily in pain. How amazing to think that his body--including his cancer and poor hearing--will be miraculously healed in heaven.

It is hard to grasp, hard to understand. And yet we believe this wholeheartedly. It is why dad sometimes smiles through the pain. It is the hope that shouts that life will be more abundant and carefree in the days to come. Our future beckons to us, as we watch Dad walking the journey toward his heavenly home.

We're so thankful to know that we will join him there. A friend of mine, and the author of 90 Minutes in Heaven, has a saying he shares with all who lose a loved one to heaven. "I'm so sorry for your temporary separation."

Temporary, fleeting, and painful, yes. But as so many of us know, some of the deepest pain or sorrow brings us to a place of overwhelming joy. Grieving may remain for the night; joy comes in the morning.