its a mad, mad world

Sheryl has moved to Winnipeg, and Owen and I had the privilege of driving much of her furniture and belongings from Saskatoon to Winnipeg. We left Thursday morning and were back in our own comfy beds in Hepburn on Saturday night.. so it was a quite a fast trip!! It was fun - thanks Sheryl, for the opportunity.

On Saturday morning, I had a great date with Nancy and Trena; old friends from high school. (Jr High?!) During our reminiscing, laughter, and great conversation, it felt like time stood still for a few moments as they caught me up on an old friend who is dying of cancer. He had been embarking on a new career, enjoying a great family life, when all of a sudden he was given a diagnosis of several months to live. I reflected on how this particular person changed my life - I know his presence, encouragement, and friendship after my mom died was crucial, and a piece of him will always be with me. Wow. Then reality really struck me as I thought about his children losing their awesome dad, his wife losing her best friend, and so many others losing the friendship of one of those salt of the earth people who is just 'a really great guy'. I heard great stories about people rallying around, an amazing circle of support - inspiring stories that need circumstances like this to be told. But still, WHY?? HOW??? and mostly, just heaviness and grief, sadness for his family. A feeling of this being too unreal.

I've been thinking about valleys and canyons lately. Valleys are a

bit more commonplace - perhaps they're your garden variety challenges and difficulties. But canyons - where the despair is the thickest, the desire to keep going is little more than a glimmer somewhere in the distance - canyons are not your garden variety troubles. Getting out of a canyon is akin to going to hell and returning to tell about it. And the redemption stories that are the most poignant, that stay with us the longest and touch our hearts in the deepest place... they involve canyons, not mere valleys. Join me in praying for this family, as they go through a canyon experience. Pray for peace, for comfort, for the beginnings of understanding to grow. And while you're at it, pray for a medical miracle. They still happen, you know.

I also had conversations about other mutual friends who are in the midst of terrible marriage break-ups. Vindictive and nasty behavior towards someone they had once pledged lifelong commitment and love. What a paradox.

It really is a crazy world.

There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:

A right time for birth and another for death,

A right time to plant and another to reap,

A right time to kill and another to heal,

A right time to destroy and another to construct,

A right time to cry and another to laugh,

A right time to lament and another to cheer,

A right time to make love and another to abstain,

A right time to embrace and another to part,

A right time to search and another to count your losses,

A right time to hold on and another to let go,

A right time to rip out and another to mend,

A right time to shut up and another to speak up,

A right time to love and another to hate,

A right time to wage war and another to make peace.

Eccl. 3 - the message