Kind of a strange photo here, but I was trying to get a pic of my hair after coming back from my paper route last week. It was -27C outside when I left home at 7:30am - brrrr, and my hair ended up frosted. It looked like solidly gray hair! Anyway, as you know, I have a paper route. In fact, I've had my route for over 9 years now. Most of the people in my neighbourhood know that it's my route, but once in a while I still get a comment like "doing your kids route?"
What started out as a way to exercise AND make a little bit of money (originally it was my scrapbooking money) has turned into exercise and making a bit of money as well as contact with neighbours. I know most of them and have seen many of them through good and bad times in their lives - and they also have shared my burdens. I shared a while back about Joanne, and I have good news to share again with you.
Joanne is doing quite well, although she hasn't heard back from her doctor's about her prognosis and health plan. She'd like to leave the cancer as is and go without treatment, especially if it's a slow-growing cancer -- but she doesn't know for sure if it is a slow cancer. I hope to hear more soon. But even if it's a faster cancer, she may end up opting out of treatment - since, as she says, "I could die of something else before cancer takes me!"
Joanne moved to a senior's residence not too far away and my husband and I went to visit her last week. She was so excited to see us! She looks good (she's 90 years old), never takes the elevators (stairs only!) and finds that the "old people with walkers" are quite slow! haha She seems to have a much happier attitude now - and is enjoying having her meals made for her and access to all sorts of activities and entertainment at her fingertips!
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But back to my paper route - as I was walking the other day, I realized how I pray for those who I know are living with difficulties. I don't know their names many times - but I do know some of their "woes". At one home in lives a couple about our ages with kids around the ages of our kids. I know they're a Christian family because I had some contact with the husband years ago but he wouldn't remember me (he used to chair an organization that I was a part of). When I saw him and his wife at the store a couple of months ago, it was obvious that his wife is going through chemotherapy. I have no idea what type of cancer she has, but I pray for her and their family every week as I pass their home.
At another home - a man just lost his wife suddenly just before Christmas 2010. I pray for him.
A neighbour family is very strange - I don't know why or what's going on, but instead of trying to figure them out, I pray for them instead now.
There are two people on my route whose spouses have left them. They are each hurting and alone.
I just heard from Joanne that another family - one living across from her old home, is going through a cancer diagnosis. The wife has some sort of brain tumour. They have three young boys.
An older man on my route is busy as caregiver to his sick wife.
We live in a beautiful world - filled with great things - and filled with lots of sad things like sorrow and sickness. And God has given me a huge compassion gene - which I don't like many times, but I know that He has a reason for how He made me. For now, I'll just reach out to those who surround me, help when I can, and I will certainly pray for them!
Prayer might not seem like much - but I know that God works in amazing ways. He may not choose to heal those who are going through these times, but I know that He will comfort them and be there for them. Maybe even through me. Use me, Lord.
From now on I'm going to call my route my prayper route!
