Of Lena Lake & Life

Lena Lake was the destination this weekend. It's been a rough past couple of weeks for us in many different ways, and this was a needed time of re-creation. More on that rough patch later. Family, dogs, & hikes have a way of bringing joy back into life.














Abigail looks like she just tried to drink some water. Tried being the operative word.




















Matanuska on the famous Lena Lake bridge.














Don't worry, we put sunscreen on her.














The three of us. . .with a Matty Sioux hindquarter.

We hiked across the creek on the far side of the lake, for a total round trip of around 8 miles. I was very pleased with our baby backpack, as was Abee Joy.

I was also very pleased at the spontaneous show Melis decided to put on ;-)

















'da sista's














Abigail got cranky about an hour after leaving the car, and after giving her the vast majority of the food we brought for her (we'll bring more next time girl!), she did great the rest of the time.















So about the 'Life' part of the title: I've been struck a lot in the past month by the frailty of life. Our neighbor passed away quite unexpectedly. One of my 'favorite' patients died (they're all my 'favorites', but I had somehow connected with this elderly lady quite well). A friend of ours at church suffered a heart attack (she's fit & healthy). Yesterday a man was hit by an inattentive driver across the street from our office while crossing the street. He was fine, but the car ran over his hips - it could have ended much differently. And I suffered a heat stroke at mile 10 of the half-marathon - had I not had medical intervention or been far away from help, I very well might not be here today. . .or at least with full faculties. Most troubling of all for me is my mom, incredibly healthy and 50-something (I promise not to tell your exact age Mom!) was just diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, which is typically terminal with a 10-15 year average survival. Because she shows no symptoms and is in great health we're hoping for much more than that of course, even as we are praying for a miracle.

Philip Yancy's 'Where is God When it Hurts?' reminds us that pain is an essential part of our everyday life. A life void of pain - to remind us that a fire is hot, the sharp edge of a knife can cut, or an infection needs time to heal - would lead to all sorts of negative consequences. Pain, in a way, reminds us of life. It tells us that there is a problem with our circumstances. But pain in life - especially the pain of circumstances like strained relationships, of emotional hurt, and the ache of losing loved ones - isn't how God intended Life to be.

After my heat stroke, I have a two hour block of time from which I have absolutely no recollection. The roughly two hours immediately following that were by far the most terrifying of my entire life. None of my senses worked, and I felt like I was in a dream that I couldn't wake myself up from. The only thing I remember hearing was the word stroke (I'm sure now which was coupled with the word 'heat'). I was convinced that I had a stroke, and I was going to live the rest of my life in that vegetative state. There's a lot more to the story than that - and almost all of it was sheer terror for me and my family - but I've come now to think that's it's good for us humans to hear the loudly clanking chains of death periodically. As my dad said, we're all in a terminal state here on earth. Our true Home is in heaven.

In Philippians 3, Paul has a lot to say about the eternal perspective that we all should live with. Job learned a lot about suffering. . .with God's reply to his questioning including few answers to the 'why's,' and more emphasis on his almighty power. A God wise enough to create me and the world I live in is wise enough to watch out for me and my loved ones.

I look to I Peter 5:10 as a huge comfort to the broken and hurting world that we live in. Suffering and pain won't get the last words. There is something better that He promises. Something much better. Life - strong, firm, & steadfast. Until that time comes, I will continue to hurt, struggle, and feel pain. But I have the hope that Life, as it was meant, is coming soon. I pray for the faith to hold firmly to that Hope.