Smiles And an ER Visit

Things that might be said at my funeral…

“I heard he had a smile on his face when they found him.”
“Well, he sure took a long time to go.”
“Yea, I thought he was going 4 years ago.”
“You know, he didn’t do any cancer treatments.”
“Maybe that’s why he lasted so long. Hahaha!”
“He didn’t even bother to eat all those weird health foods. Just ate whatever he wanted.”
“They said his favorite snack was Peanut M&Ms. Ate them all the time.”
“Well, his initials were M. M.”
“You know, I always thought he was kinda smart and innovative, but now it’s hard to think outside the box when you’re in one!”
“Hey, that’s a terrible thing to say. If you want to be funny, talk about someone else.”
“Ok, my cousin says that just before he dies, he’s going to swallow a whole bag of popcorn kernels, then get cremated.”
“A friend of mine said he wanted to be cremated and his ashes put in an hourglass so he could still participate in family game night.”
“Shhhh! Stop it, y’all. The service is about to start.”

Well, just to be clear, I don’t eat M&Ms ALL the time. Sometimes I substitute them with a chocolate chip cookie! Maybe if I had put myself on a strict diet of healthy foods, I would have lived longer. But as Martha once said, that would have a negative effect on my quality of life! Yet, I expect the moment I step into Heaven, I won’t be disappointed with my choices. In the meantime, as one old man said, “I wake up each morning, and if I don’t see candles or smell flowers, I get up.”

Regarding my health, February was a relatively good month, up until the past several days. New pains and a stopped-up plumbing sent me to the ER yesterday. After examining me with a CT scan, they recommended a drastic, quick-fix solution that got things flowing again, at least for now. As I’ve indicated before, I never know if these episodes are ‘the beginning of the end’ or just another dip in the roller coaster cancer ride of highs and lows.

Regardless, the promise of Paradise and the hope of Heaven are precious treasures that bring me peace, especially during difficult times. I’ve done such a good job of describing to little Nathaniel the beauty of Heaven that now he wants to go there with me. I explained that first he must do the task that God put him on this earth to do, to make Christ known to others, through word and deed. If he loves the Lord with all his heart, then he’ll get to Heaven someday and I’ll be there to greet him. For those of us who treasure the Lord, may the reality of Heaven bless you with joyful smiles each day.