Day 40

Well the silence is over!!!!!!  AT LAST!!!!!  FREE AT last!!!!  This 40 may have been the toughest, even though I made more exceptions in this stretch than I have for any other.  I like to talk.  I enjoy being heard.  Even though I am naturally introverted, being able to speak and connect with folks is a blessing I will hopefully NEVER take for granted.  I am thankful for you voice.

Silence observations.......if Jesus sought it, we can bank on it being good for us as well.  Silence sets the mood.  One of my good friends loved the joke, "You know how we know there won't be any women in heaven?".  "No.", I said.  "Revelation 8:1 says, 'When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.'"  He loved that joke.  As an 82 year old man telling it from the pews in the middle of worship service, it brought down the house.  All I know is there is indeed something heavenly about the occasional silence.  There is a holiness that can dwell in that space that cannot dwell anywhere else.  I kind of like the meditative tradition we have in our communion service.  I don't think the communion time has to be quiet time.  Yet quiet time is reflective time, important for us in our spiritual mindsets.  It allows a holiness to rest specially on the temporal space we designate for the Lord's supper.

Now its time to stop walking.  Ugghh..  I am excited and dreading it.  I love to walk.  I need to find a good wheelchair.  That is my goal for tomorrow so I can start this experiment come Tuesday.  Goodwill purchases and pharmacy rentals will be my focus.  I have no idea how much they will cost.  I suppose I'll need something for the shower as well.  I'm worried I'm going to have to go to the bathroom and not be able to make it in time.  I plan on doing some leg stretches and exercise to fight atrophy.  My goal is not to walk, so I may still drive if I can figure out how to get in and out of the car with the wheelchair.  I guess we will see.  I'm sure there will be some interesting stories to share.  Anyways.  Hope you are all doing well.  I have several people I need to call in the next couple days.  Its been so long since I've been on the phone.

So long kiddos.