India Report #5

Who is the person who coined the phrase, "when it rains, it pours." whoever it is, that's a wise person.
I spent the day out and about in Bangalore mostly relaxing and shopping with my Mom and Ali. My fever finally full broke in the middle of the day and has left me a case of uncotrollable sweats a few times but the pain has passed. Thank you and thank you for all you praying for me.

Got the email I didn't want tonight, My wife's grandma passed away last night. She had always been someone who was very close to my wife and very close to all of my children. The first time I met Cecil, she welcomed me as her own grandson and I absolutely adored her. I know this seems strange, but she is someone that I always wanted to speak at her funeral because I just have so many honoring things to say. But now I am stuck here, really no way to get out of the country before Thursday and I'm sure they'll make funeral arrangements before then. That just rips my heart out. I mentioned to Ali tonight that it was really hard for me to not be there for Mommy tonight and Ali put her hand on my arm and said, "at least we have each other." Didn't somebody say that unless your a child you can't receive the Kingdom of God or something??

I want to share that one of the last conversations I had with Cecil was in my backyard, sitting in the sun the week before we left. It was just her and I and she pointed to me and said, "Chris, I've lived my life and I've lived a full one. I have no regrets. You go LIVE your life." The emphasis was on "LIVE". I will never forget that and may I be faithful to her charge.

In a touch of irony, I am speaking at a worship service in the morning and my passage was alreday Psalm 123, "The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want". It is a traditional funeral passage so I will use Cecil as an illustration and grieve in my own way in a land far away. This all just feels so eeril similar to how I felt being stuck in the Ukraine 2 years ago when Jennifer Palmer passed and I couldn't be with my brother. Tonight I long to be with my wife and it hurts to be so far away.

Wherever you are tonight, go LIVE your life.