I have to get this off my chest…

Yesterday was a pretty rough and frustrating day at work, but there’s nothing like a late night phone call to put that all in perspective. Yesterday, my Dad got results back from tests run last week. For some time now, he’s had trouble swallowing and finally went in for an exam. Last week, they put a scope down his throat to see what the deal was and found some polyps, if I recall correctly, in his esophagus. The biopsy results on those came back yesterday: esophageal cancer.

Hearing the word ‘cancer’ in connection to others is always saddening. When it’s your Dad, it’s earth-shaking, and this is a scary kind. To make matters worse, we don’t know much at the moment. He’s scheduled for a more thorough scan on August 7. Until then, we just have to wait and pray, trying not to run the various scenarios.

As hard and painful as this is, I think my Dad has the right perspective. He’s confident that the Lord has allowed this for a reason (which may not know for a long time, and perhaps not even on this side of the veil). He told me on the phone that he feels he’s not where he’s supposed to be and the Lord will use this to move him there.

In spite of this awful news, I remain convinced that there is a God in Heaven, and that He holds His own in His hands. As much as I hate to think about the possibility of losing my Dad, I know that he wouldn’t be lost forever. Whether we die today or fifty years from now, those who claim the name of Jesus (as my Dad and I both do), “from [our] flesh..shall see God.” My prayer, of course, is that that day is a long time off, for both of us.

Oh yeah. Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad. I love you guys.