Let nothing you dismay...

The Christmas season has been so full of fun, friends, family, and fellowship that I have hardly had any time to think/get nervous about my surgery tomorrow.  My pre-op appointment with its “possible complications include infection, stroke, and death” wasn’t exactly cheering. But many other gifts have been: Having Jan along on pre-op day to make jokes and buy donuts; having Anthony & Samantha home from college; lots of encouraging texts, messages, phone calls, and visits; New Year’s Eve with the LaCelle-Petersons.  Two years ago, I had a student, Anh, from Vietnam, who has always called me “dad” because he says I’ve been like a father to him.  He arrived for a surprise visit yesterday to wish me well. Pastor Wes called to pray with me.  Olga fixed my favorite meal for supper last night (since I won’t be able to have anything to eat again until Tuesday.) I had a fun visit by phone last night with my dear friend Amy from my Arkansas years.  One of my favorite encouraging messages of the whole ordeal came from another Arkansas friend, Marilyn, who lost her son to cancer this fall.  She sent me these words from the Anima Christi which I keep repeating to myself:

“Blood of Christ, fill all Tim’s veins; from the malignant enemy defend him.”  And she closed her email with a favorite phrase: “God rest you merry, Tim.  Let nothing you dismay.”

So today, I am kind of pacing around, anxious to get this over with.  I am doing a little light and cheery reading: Macbeth. (Which I am starting with my seniors when I go back later this month.) I see a number of repeat postings on facebook this morning of this axiom: “Light travels 18 million times faster than rain, so Jesus is there before your storm even starts.” Normally I’m not that into these pithy, religious memes, but somehow on the day before cancer surgery that message feels just right.

I’ll post again on the other side, once my merry little robot has relieved me of my prostate, and hopefully all of the cancer with it.