Gaining Perspective - Ruth Smith Meyer

Writers have one thing in common—they all have distractions.
Those sneaky little things come in all forms—a knock at the door, the ring of the telephone, committee meetings, children’s demands, meals to make, shopping for necessities, cleaning up the piles that litter your desk, Facebook—you name it and it’s sure to have interrupted an author on a roll.

To many of those there may perhaps be a solution—turn the telephone off, ignore the door bell, get a baby sitter, stay organized, resist Facebook, go on a sabbatical from all committees or if all else fails go to some hideaway or remote cottage for a week at a time to get writing done.

Even then, at times, our minds are apt to play tricks or our bodies call out for attention—food, drink, the need for a stretch—to those we need to listen.
The last six months of 2011, I deliberately chose to write only in odd moments in order to accomplish some other important tasks that I had an urgent desire to do. Oh, I still did bits of writing—I can’t live without at least some. I planned to take February and March for concentrated writing.

Guess what? My writing time was severely curtailed. Our calendar for those two months among other things, held several speaking engagements, 15 or more meetings and twenty medical appointments. For each medical appointment as you know, there was almost equal and sometimes much more waiting time than actual visit in the office.

At the last of those appointments we were told that my husband’s back pain and numbness has probably been caused by tumors growing in his spine. Those were finally revealed with a more comprehensive MRI with dye. Another MRI of his pelvic area was taken the next day to try to find the primary source. Tomorrow, we visit the cancer clinic to find out what that revealed and what course will be taken for treatment.
In the twinkling of an eye, my perspective has changed. Yes, I’m still a writer, and I have a story waiting to be told, but first things first. I will be writing still, but my journal may claim more of my time as I record our journey. I hope I can still find bits of time to work on my next book.
We don’t know what lies ahead, but we know who holds our hands. Both Paul and I have walked this journey before with our first spouses. We have the benefit of that experience. We know we can live only one day at a time, and that grace is available for each day. We know already we have been granted a bonus in life and love, having been nudged toward each other by God, and having found a wonderful love and companionship we hadn’t expected. We know we can live each day to the fullest with thankful hearts. We know that we live with the support of a double measure of family and circles of friends. We have two church families also who are already busy praying for us.

We pray that the present journey with its certain trials and tribulations will lead to healing and more years of togetherness. However, we also know our ultimate destination and that God walks with us, if necessary, through separation and death even as he has through life.
The depth of calm assurance we feel surprises us. It is probably that which astonished the doctors who delivered the news last week. They repeatedly asked, “Do you understand what I am saying?” Waiting expectedly for our reaction—I expect they foresaw tears, unbelief and anger maybe. When they didn’t get that, it seemed they didn’t know what to do with us. Each time we assured them we did truly understand, but we also truly felt assured that God knows the end from the beginning and that our present and our future is safe in his hands.

Isn’t that a marvelous gift we have if we truly believe?

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