Unexpected News

So my mom has a tumor in her heart. I hope she's not mad at me for broadcasting this in so public a way, but I felt the need to share.

Yesterday morning at 9:30 I was driving home from a quick trip to Dollar General to buy a swimming pool float when "Mom" popped up on my caller ID. I heard the tension in her voice - "Where are you right now?....Well I have some news to share...."

She was still at the cardiologist.

"My doctor just did an echocardiogram, and I have a mass growing in my heart."

What?!?

"Dad is on his way, and the doctor is sending me straight to the hospital and scheduling the surgery as soon as possible."

Well, this was pretty much last on the list of things I was expecting to happen on Friday June 24th, 2011.

I guess that's how it goes, though. Nobody is expecting that it will happen TODAY. We all know that eventually something is going to happen to us, our spouses, our parents - disease, accidents, eventually death. Just not today, right?

I try desperately to live life intentionally. To live with the end in mind and with a constant awareness of how temporary this life is. I strive for this to be a theme of my life - to do what matters so that I will not have regrets.

Then the unexpected "tragedy" occurs and I am just as blindsided as everyone else is when it happens to them.

Listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city and spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."

-James 4:13-15

I share all this to say: Hug your kids, go on a date with your spouse, call your mama. Your "today" will come. Maybe it's not TODAY. I hope not. But live with the end in mind every single day.

But anyway, the rest of the story: My mom has a atrial myxoma. It nearly fills her left atrium and spills into the left ventricle. 99% of the time, this type of tumor is non-cancerous. The surgery to remove it will be Tuesday, and the prognosis is extremely good.

We have seen God's hand at work in many ways already. It's practically a miracle that the tumor was even discovered. Often this type of tumor is not found until part of it breaks off and causes a stroke. Many other details about her current situation make it apparent that God is taking care of her in this. What a comfort that he knows in advance what is going to happen. Our God is never blindsided by "today"!

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.

- Psalm 23:4

He is always with us and we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS in death or in life, in illness or in health through Christ Jesus. He is with us and works all things for our good, according to his purposes. We trust him!