Our journey

Today is March 5, 2010, the day that our niece Marisha and Tom are getting married. We slept little during the night so we decided to get up early and go for a long walk along the Rotary Trail beside the Chilliwack River. It is a beautiful spring day with the warm sunrays awakening creation. A light fog hangs among the trees on the mountain across the river, the birds are out in full force and sing to God’s glory. Crystal clear river water is making its way to the ocean.                                           

This day is so different than any other day, although creation is singing, our hearts are saddened. No one knows about the yoke that God has layed on our shoulders, and because there is a wedding in the family today we will not be sharing our grief with others, not even with our own children. As it says in Ecclesiastes 3, To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven, a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.  We do not want to overshadow the joyful day with the sad news we received yesterday.

In January the Lord provided me with a new job as director of operations for Richardson International (Abbotsford division). With the job came the requirement to have a routine medical exam done by one of the company appointed physicians.

 After several weeks I received a notice to go and see my family physician because they thought they could see an abnormality on the X-ray.

I was referred to get a CT scan and received the results last Friday, March 4.

I had prepared myself for bad news, however not to this extent.

The CT scan report says that both of my kidneys, liver and both lungs are affected by cancer.

Further testing will be done this week by CT scan and seeing a specialist on Friday March 11.

I have few words to say in regards to the impact it made on me and Henrietta.  I am sure you

can imagine.

As we walked along the river that morning we shared again our grief, but more important our blessings that we received in our 33 years of marriage, our children and grand children, Gods Grace and mercy. We spoke about the things to come, the time that we have left and most important of the hope in Christ that lies in both of us. In short, we had a blessed time by the river.

However, I must also say that the Lord has upheld us in remarkable ways. It took us the remainder of Friday to come to our senses, it appeared a dream, just not real, also for the fact that I feel good, have no pain, not tired and eat well. Sunday was a difficult day as we had to tell all the children, It was a time where many tears were shed, but again also a time where we could share our hope in Christ, and a time of prayer.

John.