A Change in the Journey

Sometimes in life, when we think we’re on a path of total success, we are reminded that life is often more complicated than just good or bad.  That’s what happened to me yesterday.

The day started out well enough.  I got up early and headed to the pool to get reacquainted with swimming, an activity I’d put on hold for over 4 months.  I swam for about 45 minutes and thought to myself, “I think I could do this once a week, it would feel really good!”  And my mind began to wonder what it would look like to fit swimming into my fitness plans again.  Running, biking, swimming, lifting weights, golfing … I was firing on all cylinders again!!

But shortly after lunch, the cardiology department at Sanford Health gave me a call. And the news they shared with me made my spirits sink.  My ascending aorta, that important blood vessel just above my new heart valve had dilated since my last echocardiogram.  In fact, it was 13% bigger than it was 2 years ago.  Apparently, this isn’t uncommon for people like me born with a bicuspid aortic valve.  But I was hoping that it wouldn’t happen to me.  To be clear, the situation isn’t urgent now.  I need to be checked again in about a year.  And I have to watch out for heavy exertion.  But if it continues to grow at this rate, I’ll need surgery again in 3-4 years.

Boom.  Life-altering news.  I’m still sad about it.  In fact, writing about it even now is difficult.

And yet, today is a new day.  A new opportunity to lean in to what is within my control to be healthy and positive.  I ran 3 miles today (running is on the “approved activities” list!) faster than I’ve run 3 miles  this entire year.  And I’m committed to adjusting to this new way of being me.  And if surgery ends up being in my future, I know I’ll figure that out, too.

And that makes me think about this journey we’re on as a congregation, as the church.  This Sunday will mark our 18th Sunday of suspending our public worship gatherings and gathering exclusively around the radio and on YouTube for worship.  And even as we make plans for meeting together, we know we’ll do so with big changes to how we’ll gather.  But we remain God’s people.  And we can find all kinds of ways to lean in to that identity as well.

So spend some time in prayer today, asking God to guide you in life.  What challenging new places is He leading you toward?  Who is He calling you to love and serve?  How might He use you to be part of something bold and new?

 May you be given eyes to see and courage to follow … as the journey unfolds in front of you.

P.S. – maybe one of those new adventures is Immanuel House Church!  To learn more about this exciting new way of being church, visit www.wadenaimmanuel.org/housechurch

For other news, visit: https://www.wadenaimmanuel.org/announcements


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Unknown said…
Take care Paster Nate.
Thursday, July 16, 2020 7:17:00 PM
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