It's just after 5:45am and I have to say it has been an interesting start to the day. I should be asleep until 7:00am but a range of events have prevented this.
I woke just after 5:30am as I had a dream with Maria in it for the first time. As I was laying there praising God my phone beeped with an incoming SMS. My mate Mike (see yesterday's entry) was sending me a progress report from his hospital bed. He was doing well with the morphine doing its job (perhaps affected his ability to tell the time - a joke). I intend to visit him en route to work and found out he is in the maternity ward. I warned him about what too much beer and chocolate can do (another joke - he is much fitter than me). I praise God for an answer to prayer (for the successful surgery, that is).
As I lay there thanking God for Mike, I felt that rather than go immediately back to sleep (even though I feel like I need it), I should check my email for my bible study for the day (it comes it @ 4:42 each morning). Interestingly it wasn't there, but two other messages were since I went to sleep around 1:30am...
The first was from dear friends Alan & Jo from the UK (we were together in Israel). Jo had their first child, "Harry" (he looks very royal and handsome too) on the 8th. Congratulations.
The second message was from other dear friends from Israel, who are back in the US (Brian and Martha). Brian's sister Ruth recently had brain surgery for a lesion, which has now been diagnosed as Gloiblastoma Multiforme (GBM) - the same cancer Maria had. The good side of this news is that she is recovering well from the surgery. Like with Maria, the steroids are a real annoyance with sleep loss and all the other side effects it brings with it. Fortunately they are tapering them down. Praise God for the medical treatment and as she moves into the next phase of treatment (radio/chemo) we pray that God's Will and his light will continue to shine through that family.
I'm now projecting back 24 hours to another incident, which didn't seem like anything at the time, but as yesterday progressed it became clear that God was prompting me and I missed the sign. The background to this is that one of our dearest friend's (Janelle) friend, Kirsti, came to Maria's funeral from the Blue Mountains as she knew Maria through a women's conference they attended together some years ago. I hadn't met Kirsti before that day. Since January I hadn't thought about Kirsti (not to be offensive). Anyway, when I woke yesterday morning I had this vivid image of Kirsti but was confused as to whether he name was Kirsti or Kristi. After my brain got into gear and I clarified that, I continued on without giving it a second thought. While at work (I tend to be too busy to check private emails on my phone), I saw a message from Janelle and upon reading it discovered that Janelle was seeking prayer as Kirsti's young niece was having surgery for a brain lesion. That freaked me out!
Further to the previous paragraph, I've had a few visions/dreams lately which have been for others and I've carefully shared (as I'm conscious they could be coming from anywhere). The feedback I've received has been so positively interesting. I find events like these and what I mentioned about Kirsti, for me, confirm the presence of God as opposed explaining them off as "coincidences" or "natural phenomena".
On a day that will be one of the hardest "firsts" without Maria, I feel encouraged. Maybe my flatness (is there such a word) is lifting for now?
Thanks to everyone for their ongoing commitment and prayer for us (especially of late).
I wonder how my colleagues will find the idea of me supplying morning tea today to celebrate what would have been a wonderful 15th wedding anniversary. I miss you Maria, and I know you know that!
