On Being "Cool!"

As I was contemplating today’s post, I thought back to something that an older gentleman who had lost his wife to Alzheimer’s bluntly told me.  He said that the first thing that I needed to do was to lose my pride.  At the time, this statement took me by surprise, and I simply laughed at and shrugged off the suggestion.  Today, as I look back over the last year or so, and especially after our recent adventure to Oklahoma, I can see that his comment was right on target!

The seasoned Apostle Peter told us in his first epistle to “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.”  (I Peter 5:6 King James Version)  This experiential knowledge came from a man who probably stuck his food in his mouth more than anyone else in the scriptures.  It also comes from one of the most influential leaders in our Christian history.  And it is probably the greatest lesson that I have learned so far in this journey with my wife.

I have always prided myself on being able to be “cool” in any situation.  Whether it be an accident on the manufacturing floor at Hewlett Packard/Agilent where I worked for twenty years, a youth with a broken arm after taking a spill on the hill at snow camp, watching the emergency doctor sew up my young son’s bleeding head while trying to hold up my wife as she was getting ready to pass out, or quickly quieting a steaming argument between co-workers, I’ve always had the God given knack to be calm and help to efficiently handle just about anything that popped up.  That is until now!

The incident on the plane that I wrote about yesterday, another one that happened while boarding the plane at the Phoenix airport on the way home, and the everyday events like shopping and even getting in and out of the truck, have been completely eye opening experiences and one’s with which I have felt totally helpless and totally embarrassed with.  Maybe my reaction would better be characterized as “being humbled!”

I think that I have learned more about myself throughout this entire adventure in faith than anything else!  I have come to see that my entire, total and complete dependence has to be on the faithfulness of the Lord and the integrity of His word.  It has really hurt me to see the looks on people’s faces when they turn their gaze upon my wife.  This happened over and over again while we visited friends that we hadn’t seen for over two years in Oklahoma.  As I have mentioned before, my wife was always a vibrant, cheerful and encouraging force wherever she went.  The transition has been difficult to witness and the pain is relived every time we see someone we haven’t seen in a while.

And you know what…  There is nothing that I can do about it.  I can’t cover it up, I can’t joke it off and this is one time that I can’t fix it!  But there is Someone who can, and His name is Jesus.  What I’ve learned is to take Peter’s instructions and simply humble myself, to continue to depend on the power of God that is working a healing and a cure in my wife’s body to continue it’s work and let the light of God reign in and flow through me to the other’s that we come in contact with. 

How are you doing today?  Is there anything happening in your life that you feel you have no control over?  My suggestion is to follow the pro’s advice.  To put all your emotions and pride aside and to do as the Apostle Peter suggested and “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God THAT HE might exalt you in (His) due time.”  After all, He sees the whole picture.  He always has perfect timing, and our job is not to please man but to please Him.  Have a great day.  Stay tuned and keep asking yourself…  “What GREAT things am I expecting today?”