There has not been a lot good news over the last year. I have some to share...
When the e-mail is sent out on Thursday afternoons for Sunday's service, there is a prayer list at the bottom of the e-mail. If you look towards the bottom of the list, you will see Jim. That is me. To those of you in the prayer group, thank you. Prayers do work. I know because I am the thankful recipient of what prayers can do.
October 14 - I was diagnosed with a symptomatic retinal break in the left eye. I was able to have surgery that afternoon. I was advised that it could take a couple of months to fully recover. Thank you God for the successful surgery...but there was more to come.
December 8 - After a weekend of trying to figure out the curtain that had come to cover half of the same eye, I was in emergency surgery at Beth Israel in Boston. My retina had detached in a different part of the retina. The surgery was successful. I now had to wait a month to see if it was to remain attached. I looked at a gas bubble for the next three weeks to help the retina stay attached.
January 13 (a day I will not forget) - The retina remained attached but a cataract had formed. I knew that the cataract would probably be a result of the surgery. That was the least of my worries. I was now on my way to recovery.
March 2 - Cataract surgery is considered an elective surgery in Massachusetts during this pandemic. Elective surgeries were on hold. The hold was lifted on March 1. The surgery that I had scheduled for February 23 was able to be rescheduled for March 2.
March 4 - I write to you today after my follow up appointment yesterday. Everything "looks" good and I am hopefully on my way over the next couple of months to close to full eyesight again.
So where does the alarm clock of life come in?
Over the past four plus months, I tried to find a way to look at things half full, to somehow keep my faith. I was reminded that I had four of five things I prayed to have. If only I could get the fifth back. I am slowly getting the fifth back.
So, when you hear your alarm clock go off, I ask you to consider the following:
When you hear it, be thankful for being able to hear.
When you hit the snooze bar for the third time, be thankful that you are able to feel.
When you sip the glass of water on your night stand, be thankful that you can taste.
When your dog gives you a good morning lick with her fabulous dog breath, be thankful that you can smell.
When you sit on the end of your bed and look out the window, be thankful that you can see the beautiful day God has waiting for you.
You have SO MUCH to be thankful for, even over the last year...and you are not even out of bed yet...😍
In Christ, Jim Nevin