December 11, 2017 – Surgery Date Selection
So, why did I put off such a needed
and serious surgery for a month? I could say, “It is complicated.” And I would
be right. It is indeed multi-faceted.
At my initial meeting with the
surgeon he said to me, “So I guess this is your busiest time of the year?” “Yes,”
I replied, “There is a lot going on in both churches and the other business. A
lot of folks depend upon me. Even though any of us are replaceable, I was
hoping I could hold off on surgery until after the holiday, and perhaps after
the first of the year.”
His reply was, “This tumor has been
growing inside of you for years. Three more weeks will not make that much of a
difference.”
And so it was, when we met the
scheduler we chose January 9, 2018.
There is another side to this. A
week ago, prior to meeting the surgeon I was at breakfast with a friend of mine
who was telling me I need to let all of the church and ministry stuff go and
take care of myself. My reply to him was, “I have been serving and helping
people since I was 15. That is closing in on 50 years of ministry. I’m telling you,
that switch does not exist inside of me. I cannot turn it off. The best I can
do is to learn to manage it.”
I have now 3+ weeks to get things
in order. I am scheduling 8-weeks of supply preachers at my churches, and
getting some serious and major issues in line at the non-profit. If I get some
of these things completed and in order, I will be able to disengage during the
surgery and recovery, trust the good staff I have, and focus on my healing. I
will not be able to turn it off, but I will be more able to cut back and relax
while others do their part.
“Know thyself.” Someone said that
once.
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