Now We Are Six... Counting Years
"Let us not lose heart in doing good...
for in due time we will reap
if we do not grow weary"
Gal. 6:9
There are little moments in life and there are big ones.
There are moments that are little, but they get made into big ones,
and moments that are BIG ones, but can easily be missed.
Some of these moments are to be remembered.
The counting of years.
Think weddings, births and graduations.
New jobs and new houses.
We rejoice in these moments
and mark them in birthdays and anniversaries as well as smaller but no less important ways.
In the poem by A.A. Milne, "Now We Are Six",
Christopher Robin, talks about reaching the very important milestone of being six.
He begins the poem by saying, "When I was one, I had just begun"
and ends with "Now I am six, I'm as clever as ever..."
Obviously, a lot happens in six years!
***
Today I am six years beyond being told that I had cancer.
And I have loved these six years.
Six years... of birthdays and births! Weddings and anniversaries!
Six years of big moments and accomplishments by family and friends!
A lot of good things have happened in the six years since then!
***
Yesterday I asked Bud how long we've been married..."was it 44 or 45?"
It was 44.
"Six more years and we will have been married 50."
Bud answered, "But, 50 is not enough!"
:-)
And Christopher Robin thought 6 was the pinnacle.
Six years old is a good place to be,
but like all grown-ups, I know in reality that it is not all... that there is more.
Much more.
Some will be thrilling.
Some will not.
My heart's desire, is to move ahead with a gratitude that comes from knowing in any and every circumstance, God is good!
Even in broken times, He loves me.
He is near when the shadows are overwhelming and when the hard is hardest. He is faithful.
And in the good times?
I hope I will be rejoicing all the more!
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I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy:
for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities
Psalm 31:7
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It's good to look back and see His footprints in this part of our life.
How he met our needs, working in little and big ways.
Most days I don't think about cancer.
But if there is an appointment coming...blood work?
or the anniversary of the end of treatment?
Or a friend's new diagnosis...
Am I cancer free?
I think so.
One thing for certain, there were no cancer cells left in the lymph nodes where the cancer was found.
Melted is the way one of my cancer doctors described them.
We are still doing things to prevent it popping up somewhere else.
And with that said,
thankfully...
Now we are six!
And counting :)
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I want to mention another poem here by A. A. Milne as well.
It is called Knights in Armor
I think it beautifully describes those in the fight against all of the hard in this world...
however it shows up.
Those who face their battles each day and know that it won't be easy.
Who are tired of the fight and in the fight.
Who know when they get out of bed that it will all be uphill for them...
and could think their mountain top will never come into sight.
For those who could easily... so easily... give up.
At the end of the poem, it says,
"Sometimes when our fights begin, I think I'll let the Dragons win...
And then I think perhaps I won't, because they're Dragons,
and I don't."
(and so we are back at the start... let us not lose heart in doing good)
:-)
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