Family hugs... and salad!

BOX SCORE
Element	Current	Std. Range	Trend
Hemoglobin	8.9	13-17	👍
Platelets	83	140-375	👎
ANC	1070	1800-8300	👍

Sometimes, we wish for something. It might be something we used to have and would like to have restored. True, there might be reasons, good reasons, for our having been denied it. Nevertheless, and not withstanding the good reasons, we continue to wish for and ask for that something. Time after time, we are disappointed when our wishes are denied. And when that happens, we human beings have a tendency to respond in one of two ways. 

First we may become disillusioned and despair of ever receiving our wish. We may even give up hope altogether. In extreme cases we may make excuses or reframe the situation in such a way that we hope will help us to deal with disappointment. "Oh, I didn't really want that anyway." Did you ever find yourself saying that? The only problem with this approach is that it's so doggoned dissatisfying. It also constitutes self deception, which is a very dangerous thing. 

The second way we tend to deal with unfulfilled wishes is to face them squarely. We may begin to reassess our wish to see if it is really the thing we wanted or if there is some reason why being denied that wish is in some way a good thing. This approach can lead to a better understanding of our situation and help us to look at it philosophically. We may even decide that our wish is perfectly legitimate, but that for some reason, maybe a reason we can now appreciate (and maybe not), it is not the wish, but the timing that is out of kilter. And what does that call for? That's right!! PATIENCE.

What the heck are you getting at, Tom??? I'm so glad you asked. Those first three paragraphs were kind of like trying to keep the perfect Christmas present a secret from July, when you bought it, until that big day in December. 

If you will look at the Box Score above, you may notice a couple of things. First, all of my blood counts are below the "standard" range. 👎 But on second glance you may notice that my ANC, which is an indicator of my immune status, is above 1,000 👍! Do you know how long it has been since I could say that? I thought not. The last 4 digit ANC I had was on November 10th, almost two and a half months ago! The last time it was in the standard range was October 27th, and that's getting on toward three months ago. 

So, what? So, although my ANC  is currently below the "standard" range, it is high enough that, with caution, I feel comfortable connecting with limited numbers of people. I do have some immunity; it's not optimal, but my body is able to fight back in case of an infection. In practical terms, it means that my adopted mantra, "Live like you're healed," is alive and well. And in God's masterful way, He has choreographed things so that Patrick and Katie and our granddaughters, Ryanne and Megan, will be in the area visiting friends on the coming weekend! Finally, some family hugs! 

Sometimes, we take things for granted, until they are taken away. I guess that's why we wish for them to be restored. Granddaughter hugs, fresh salad, these are things that are worth waiting for. We had a fresh salad for lunch today for the first time in a couple of months. That used to be our "go to" lunch. As for Ryanne and Megan, we have seen them on a couple of driveway visits, but I can't remember the last time we got to hang out with them. Looks like that will happen on Sunday. 

In the Book of James, the Lord's brother wrote, 

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4)

I believe in patience. It is part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness, self control. (Galatians 5:22-23) Not only that, but it teaches us that a long awaited wish fulfilled brings more joy than the instant gratification that is the hallmark of our culture. 

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have "normal" ANC every day, but that is not reality for me. Still God blesses me with a body that has withstood A LOT of chemotherapy with very few side effects. He has taught me things about Himself and about me that I may not have been able to know any other way. And He has choreographed a weekend when my ANC is up and my family is available to share hugs. And salad! Did I mention I had salad for lunch?