As is my custom, on my birthday I take off to a solitary place to spend some time with the Lord, reflecting on my journey thus far.
Lord,
Today I’m 64
Thank you for being with me
For saving me
For guiding me
For using me
For keeping me
For blessing me
For calling me
For giving me peace, meaning and
A hope that is living and lasting.
I want to see You more clearly,
Love You more dearly and
Follow You more closely
For the rest of my life
Till I meet You in glory
Face to face.
Amen.
I had a colonoscopy done. I entered the hospital with peace of mind. I had occasional reminders to not take things for granted even though both my parents were cancer-free. After all, cancer can happen to anyone. So the “what if they find tumours?” question surfaced a few times. And routine medical procedures can get messy through a surgeon’s mistakes. Each time such anxious thoughts surface, I had to commit the matter into the Lord’s loving care.
Life is unpredictable but we who trust in the Lord can walk around with a serene and smiling face because we are secure in God’s love.
I did not like the idea of colonscopy. Why allow intrusion into your body when all is fine? As they say, Do not trouble trouble lest trouble troubles you! My wife had done the colonscopy and kept encouraging me to do so. Since I am almost 64, it is a good time to do a check up.
Ng Teng Fong General Hospital is 5 minutes from home so I had the examination done there. Everything went smoothly and painlessly. I remembered feeling a slight embarassment as female nurses in businesslike voices and brisk movements prompted me into a fetal (not fatal, thank God) posture. This is very awkward, being introduced to strangers from the backside. “Your name and i.c. number?” I answered the question, and soon I lost consiousness (and embarassment) in the examination theatre.
The next thing I knew was gently regaining consciousness in the preparation room, feeling that I want to sleep there forever because I felt so drowsy and it felt so comfortable.
The results were later given to me in an envelope with photographs of a clean colon. Praise the Lord.
I am now in Bolton in my wife’s sister’s home. I am feeling blessed and well cared for. I have returned from a well planned day trip to near Blackburn. It was a boat cruise along a stretch of the Liverpool to Leeds waterway – a gift from the Blyths. My wife and I enjoyed it thoroughly and we felt blessed for what was a misty, gloomy morning suddenly became a bright, sunny day as we drove 30 minutes along the highway!
The canal used to be the transport arteries for coal, agricultural and industrial products but are now more for leisure and pleasure trips.
The slow cruise took three hours and included a tasty three course meal – starters, main meal, and dessert. The service was good, and so was the food and of course the company.
