Living the Good Life

     Ah, retirement.  Last week was my first official week of "living the good life."  That was the week I would have returned to work.  Today is the day the teachers returned, and I admit that I miss the craziness of this time of year.  I love the controlled chaos of getting everything ready for the first day of school.   However, I am enjoying this new stage of life.  Instead of working between ten and twelve hour days last week, I went out to lunch with my mom and daughter, painted pottery for the first time, walked early every morning, cooked meals for my family, and had a lunch date with a friend.
     I see that God's timing is perfect in all this.  Today, with one week left until school starts, instead of working to the point of exhaustion, I began my radiation therapy to rid this cancer from my body.  Every time anyone at the clinic talks to me about it, whether doctor, nurse, or technician, they repeat the same thing.  Sometime toward the end of next week I can expect the fatigue to set in.  They have suggested naps and an earlier bedtime.  OK! 
     Yes, God's timing is perfect.  I thought I was leaving my job because I was facing surgery.  Turns out the surgery wasn't as severe as I expected.  However, adding fatigue from my therapy on top of the physical exhaustion of work, would have been too much.  I need to take care of myself now more than ever. 
     

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;

I will tell of all your wonderful deeds,

I will be glad and rejoice in you;

I will sing the praise of your name, O Most High.

Psalm 9:1-2

 

     I am so thankful that God is leading the way in my life.  Without him, I would be a disaster.  There are so many things to tell...the peace that has been a blanket around me these past seven months, the relative ease of the chemotherapy while I was working (I won't say it was easy, but somehow He got me through it.), friends who are always sending words of encouragement at just the right time, strength to take care of my family and do things that need to be done, energy to continue to teach my class on Sunday mornings...

     It really doesn't matter that I am retired, my life is good...cancer and all.  It's what you make it.  Don't look for the negative, look for the positive.  Don't be like the lady I saw today who is obviously in a worse state than I.  I am sorry she is having a hard time, but I want to encourage you because of what I saw.  Don't gripe about everything.  Don't expect people to jump whenever you issue a command.  Don't live life and behave as if you think the world owes you.  Rather, look for the good in people.  Find something to laugh about.  Spend time enjoying and loving the people God brings into your life.  Speak words of encouragement to whomever you encounter in your day.  Appreciate the effort someone makes to help you.  Turn up the music and sing!  Life IS good, if you want it to be.