Change of scenery

We (Dave, Joe, Cali & I) arrived in Dallas last night about 4:30 PM ~ in the middle of rush hour! Dave was driving the rented semi/trailer & I was driving our rig. At one point, I was in the wrong gear & ended up stalling on the I35E ~ in the middle lane. I had to turn it off & restart it before I could get going. By then, there was a larger backup than there had been! Ahhh, the joys (& frustrations) of driving a big rig in traffic!

After parking the rigs @ the convention center dock, we put our luggage in our tractor, unhooked the trailer & drover over to the hotel. Dave's folks met us there ~ Joe & I will stay with them until Dave is done with the CPE event (strike on Sun.). Depending on the timing, if it's not too late, Dave will come stay here on Sun. night. That would mean the folks would have to drive us back to the convention center, unless Dave decides to drive the tractor to the house. We'll see how it works out.

Dave asked his dad to come down to the event on Fri. or Sat. ~ Lori (sister) will be down there on Fri., so that may make the most sense to go then. The speakers/artists are of interest to Dad on that day (Max Lucado & Travis Cottrell). It will be a busier day on Fri. than Sat., but Dave will have a bit of time to spend with Dad. Cali can stay with Mom or go into her kennel if Mom decides to go out with Joe.

Dad is coughing more than before. Mom told me that there is a tumor near his windpipe & it is expected to invade before too long. This Herthel cancer is very aggressive & there is no known treatment. It is very disappointing that the dr. sat on the PET scan results for 2 weeks & then hadn't read them in advance of the office visit! Mom said she could see the moment he read the diagnosis ~ his face fell. Major malpractice lawsuit potential, but we aren't going there. We all know this is ultimately in the hands of the Lord.

In the flesh, I get angry/frustrated bec. surgery & care could have been started before they even moved to TX (Sept. 2008). But, Mom didn't want it to interrupt the moving process ~ & she tends to avoid things, hoping they will go away. I keep thinking all of this could have been caught earlier, they would have had better care with the dr./health care system they had in CO, etc. Then, the Spirit gently reminds me WHO is in control & I have to trust Him for Dad's health. He is trusted for life & is trusted for death. He is trust itself!

The family is gathering around, as are dear friends. Dan, Laura & Jacob will fly in from Poland (Dan first, then Laura & Jake) & our family will come down for the wkend of April 10-12 ~ Resurrection celebration together! We may go to Galveston for the wkend ~ just to be away as a family. There are logistics to work out & several are struggling financially, but we'll manage to cover for one another.

It will be good to be here for the week. Mom said she wants to dialog about the treatment, future, etc. while I'm here. Lori & I are going to lunch today, so we'll have time to talk about her dad & how to care for Mom when the time comes. I'm thankful that my schedule has freed up so I can be available to help with the care when needed. With Dan arriving next week, he'll be here to take over for Lori ~ & she needs a break right now.

So, I pray continually for my submission to His will, knowing He sees the whole picture, knows the outcome & that, ultimately, Dad will be healed! It's the missing-Dad-when he's-gone part that I struggle with! And, the not knowing how Mom will function without him after 50+ years of life, family & ministry together. HaShem will give answers when it's time for answers.