Day 546 of 1000
A friend and I talked our way through some tough challenges last night. It is one of those things that is good, but not easy to do. I did not get to bed until way later than what would have allowed me to get enough sleep. I woke up well after midnight to hear the kids making their way upstairs after fighting through a long, tedious homework problem. They did not get enough sleep either. I had to take Lorena’s car to work this morning because the engine light on our new (to us) used car went on the day after we bought it so she could take it bake to the dealer to see if we got a bad deal on the car rather than a good one. I am dealing with new work burdens that are in an area (people and project management) with which I am not particularly comfortable. The sad part about that is it will require time that I wanted to spend on our NCSU (GaugeCam) volunteer research project and a very interesting statistical research project to which I have been invited. These are projects through which I could both learn something and contribute in a way that has more satisfying value than just money. There are more issues similar in nature: not grave but of the “death by a thousand cuts” type.
The upshot is that I felt sorry for myself (I know, I know–that is just wrong, especially because it is so trivial) during my entire forty minute ride to work this morning. Then stuff started going right. The car turned out to have a couple of minor maladies the dealer fixed in about an hour. Christian messaged me late in the morning to let me know he got a (normalized) 97% on his first midterm in the most difficult class I ever took in my entire college experience. Kelly got a great score on her Ag-Marketing class, too. All that hard work pays off. My work load has not diminished, but sitting and program for a few hours always puts me in the frame of mind that I have actually accomplished something. Even if I have to manage, I still get to do science, engineer, and write code. Other good stuff happened that are not worth a mention, but it all combined to remind me that even in the living of everyday life, God is on the side of everyone who loves him and there is never any true reason to despair. It is shameful to despair when my biggest worries combined are trivial. God is good.
I hope God will be as good to Grant, the son of of a good friend. Grant was born 25 years ago, with severe cerebral palsy, in Shetland.
This month, Grant, who cannot do anything for himself, has been diagnosed with testicular cancer. It’s unlikely he will survive surgery and that’s the only chance he has.
Your wee cars are just that.
I am so sorry to hear about your friend Grant, Margaret. I agree whole-heartedly that my woes are very, very small, especially when compared to someone in such a condition at such a young age. Our thoughts and prayers will be with Grant, his family, and you.
I like you and and your family. I’m pleased we are in touch