Dan's Thoughts

Trish #42 - August 14, 2004

Today I am singing an old spiritual:


I don't feel no ways tired;
I come too far from where I started from!
Nobody told me the road would be easy
But I don't believe He brought me this far to leave me.

Trish and I are joyful. This week has especially been a "filling up" and a resting in God.

Since it has been a couple of weeks that I have not written, I wanted to update you about our on-going adventure. We both want you to know how your prayer has blessed and upheld us, and, indeed, continues to do so.

Trish has been home now since July 30th. We went to Flagstaff for three days last week. This week, we returned to began her out-patient therapy. Her therapists were amazed at how much progress she has made because she continues to improve rather quickly. In large and small ways, she keeps returning to herself. She now gets in and out of the car with minimal assistance, for example. She only uses her wheelchair if she must walk long distances (like going to the Dairy Queen, for instance, to take our granddaughter for an ice cream.) She is progressing well in every way.

A few hours ago, when I told her that I wanted to send an e-mail to everyone, she asked me to please express her gratitude to you. We have been able to thank people in person at The Valley Cathedral and Living Streams here in Phoenix. In a few weeks, (September 12) we will personally express our gratitude and minister to our Nashville friends at Christ Church, if, as we expect, her doctors agree that it is OK for her to travel. But some of you are in places where we may not see you for a while and we want you to know just how thankful we are.

Many of you have also asked how I am doing. Well, to keep it brief: these past many weeks have naturally been labor-intensive and emotionally difficult. However, I believe I have paced myself fairly well most days. I have a sense of returning vigor and an excitement about our future. I deeply appreciate John Dyson, who has been willing to fill the role of acting senior pastor and corporate president of The Valley Cathedral until the end of October. Because he has been willing to do this, I can preach a couple times a month, focus on getting Trish well, attend to my own rest and recovery and attempt to discover what our lives are going to look like now. My weariness and anxiety is slowly giving way to joy and excitement about Trish and I being able to love one another and being able to serve God and His people together.

Of course, no one "gets over" something like we have faced immediately. But the important thing is that we are recovering and renewing instead of unraveling!

In short: we are having a good time sharpening our swords and preparing for the rest of life. We have "miles to go and promises to keep before we sleep."

God's Peace to all of you. Go worship the Lord tomorrow. Enjoy your loved ones and sing loudly enough that it will annoy the people in the pew ahead of you!

Dan