It was great to get a “good report” from the doctor…or at least, as good as I could surmise. He’s pretty poker-faced and tight-lipped when I try to ascertain where I stand in the spectrum of things. He finally gave in to saying I was an “A+” at this post-op phase, so I let it go at that.

Even better than the visit was the time I got to spend with Mary Flaherty, who, like Lani, barely knows me and yet made the tiem and effort to serve me (in fact, she is mentoring Lani right now so she is effectively the patron saint of our small group :). She got me there very early, was careful to make sure I was supported at every move, and even invited me back to their beautiful beach-view home in pacifica when we returned before Shirley was back from her errands. It was a great opportunity to share in one another’s lives more…something we sadly just don’t do in the normal course of things.

That is one big learning from this surgery: that the “normal course of things” squeezes out so much opportunity for blessings: taking time to be with others, serving one another, and – for me – being able to RECEIVE the gifts of others and the gift of “non-productive” time. Lord, let me retain these ever-so-important lessons.

(the other interesting learning being that, even when life is UN-scheduled, we can still choose to squeeze God out by a busy and distracted mind….ah we do need His help so much!!)

Otherwise I would have been mind-bendingly bored to tears with all of the ‘normal’ programming television has to offer us these days. Instead, I was able to finally see some checks and balances restored to the U.S. government for the first time in six years. Remember those? We learned about them in elementary school, but we have lacked them for a while. Nice to have them back.

My friend Lani – saint that she is – after knowing me barely two months, came to get me from the surgery with 1-year-old Cole in tow. He was such a good boy, especially given that he was past due for his lunch by the time Lani was able to get my pain meds from teh pharmacy (my doc sort of forgot to call them in beforehand and that was not something we could just “see” if I could get by without!).

Lani braved the rain to get me the meds and take me down to Pacifica, where I was whisked into the haven of Shirley, Eunice & Lydia Woods’ gingerbread home.

It was pure pampering from that point on – both physically and spiritually. Shirley waited on my every need, and it was a complete blessing, after living 5 years with Eunice & Lydia, to be able to get to know Shirley more. I thought she was great beforehand, and I got to test it out for real there. She really IS that great and more. In fact, I think she is one of the most generous people I have ever met. Both with her time and her service – to pray and to serve.

I was a direct recipient of that – and all at a time when she was going through a home sale and preparing for a two-week excursion to Malaysia. There will be many crowns at the thrown with Shirley’s print on them!