This has been a difficult week for our church family. A dear friend and long time member of our church had a massive heart attack last Tuesday morning. They were just enjoying normal life when this crisis hit them unexpectedly. His wife has been by his side ever since hoping and praying that God will wake him up and heal his body.
In the meantime we wait.
This has caused us all to realize several things…
- We have no guarantees for tomorrow. Each day we must embrace it as if it were our last. Craig had no idea that as he was cooking his delicious lasagna for his family on Monday night that he wouldn’t enjoy the leftovers with them on Tuesday.
- How valuable it is to have a church family to come alongside to help, serve and pray.
- The priority it is to pursue relationships even if others aren’t pursuing you. Rowena, (Craig’s Wife), made the comment that she realizes the reason so many are flooding the hospital waiting room in an effort to help and lend support is because of the way Craig pursued and offered help to them–over and over, whether or not it was reciprocated.
- Say “yes” to your spouse and children as often as you are able. Craig’s lasagna was made according to special diet restrictions because he loves and cares for his wife. However, when he heard his daughter say how much she was hoping for pasta, he didn’t say, “Sorry, not this time.” Instead, he made a second pan with pasta noodles for his girl.
- Make every opportunity to invest in your marriage. Craig and Rowena were a part of our marriage community group last year as we read through Gary Thomas’s excellent book, Cherish. We saw God not only strengthen their marriage, but He also strengthened their relationships with the younger married couples in our church.
The Romantic Vineyard 
Yes, it has been quite a week. We love Craig and Rowena and are praying constantly for them. So thankful for your readers who will also pray.
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Praying for Craig and Rowena and their family.
I’m in a slightly different ‘wakeup’ situation; I’m dying, and there isn’t anything that can be done to stop the process. I’ve outlasted a lot of predictions, but this can’t go on forever.
So I am encouraging my wife to get out and develop friendships in the community, and to invest the time to be sure that she has a support system when I die.
It’s hard; time is limited for everyone, and I’m alone a lot…and we have less to share. But that she has friends who really love and value her, that’s more important. But I can manage obn my own, and if I can support her while it’s still possible, it’ll make the transition easier. Not easy; but less awful than it might be.
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Andrew, I would certainly encourage you both to invest the time you have in other relationships. This is what we were made for, and as long as you have breath you have the ability to give a word of encouragement. I know because you encourage so many of us in the CMBA. I pray especially that your wife has close friends and a church family who will love and support her.
Thanks for commenting.
Debi
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