6.30 p.m. ….

Author Bob Buford makes the following “confessions” related to the CONTENT used in his “Musings” e-newsletter entitled, “Life as a State of Perpetual Disorder” (September 14, 2007)

Does it ever seem that life just won’t fall into place the way you planned? I keep calendars, I make appointments, I have daily plans, weekly plans, plans for my whole life …. But, much of the time, perhaps most of my time my life, and the lives of most of those I know, are much more spontaneous than our linear plans would describe.

…. I never plan for what comes next. Well, that’s not entirely true. I make all sorts of plans, but what I use just happens. Stuff happens and I react to it.

I’ve been working with an editor trying to make an orderly, linear book out of these musings. It’s very frustrating. Peter Drucker, the management guru of all time, once shocked me by saying, “….opportunity is unpredictable. Most of the time, opportunity comes in over the transom. And opportunity doesn’t stay long. If you don’t respond to an opportunity, it moves on.” The same is true for problems. If you don’t change plans and react, they just get worse. As Shakespeare said, “Readiness is all.” It’s readiness and reaction.

Bob continues ….

So the nature of these musings is spontaneous and reactive. They can’t really be put in order. I tried it and it didn’t work because my life — like yours I expect — just won’t conform to my plans. It is messy. It is disorderly. It is one surprise after another.

Bob goes on ….

My beautiful wife, Linda, has watched with bemused sympathy as I have twisted and turned in the breeze trying to solve this making-order-out-of-chaos issue. She came in this past weekend at the farm to tell me that she’s taking a course on the Psalms. She said, “Your musings don’t have any order. They are more like Psalms. They are reactions along the road of life. The Psalms are not theology. They are more how people relate to change.” Then she read me this (from the course material prepared by her friend, Verdell Krisher):

The answer is “YES.”

Philip Yancey: “the 150 psalms are as difficult, disordered, and messy as life itself.”

I really value what Bob has shared above given where we’re living today …. !!!

Thus, by now, you understand my point …. which is that many times my UPDATES could be described as ….

• “Difficult, disordered and messy as life.”
• “They are reactions along the road of life”

….targeted especially to Irene’s journey. The UPDATE is our best way to keep people abreast of Irene’s ongoing progress (yes, progress, stated intentionally) as well as sharing her journey within the context of our confident faith in Jesus Christ.

Irene had a restful and relaxing day following dialysis treatment this morning. Sue Martinez, again, graciously picked Irene up and brought her home. Her nausea subsided somewhat and whenever that occurs there is significant relief to her well being …. JoAnna flew in this evening for the weekend so we’re looking forward to having her and Jocelyn around the house!!!

So, when it seems that the author of the UPDATES is spontaneous, reactive and doesn’t appear to have a linear view of how they come together, please realize that right now life is rather disorderly and we’re doing a lot of “reacting” as we traverse along this new road we’re learning to navigate called the Amyloid Highway ….

Caminando con Fé

Dave