The Wonder Report: September 23, 2022

A Livable Life - Part 1

Happy Friday —

You may have noticed that I didn’t show up in your inbox last Friday despite my best intentions. But honestly, it was an unrealistic hope at best. I typically write these letters on Sunday mornings now—under my new work/school schedule—and knowing we were arriving home late Saturday night after a tiring and emotional cross-country trip to celebrate with our youngest son, it really was unlikely I’d feel like writing. But then it got worse.

Sunday morning when we picked up our two dogs, Harper and Tilly, from where they were boarding, we found a very sick and dehydrated Tilly. A trip to the vet initially pointed to a microscopic parasite, so we dispensed medicines, cleaned up messes, and cared for her for a week and a half under that assumption. But when she still wasn’t better—and was actually worse—we returned to the vet to discover the worst possible news: Tilly had an aggressive cancer that was causing her symptoms and she was suffering more than we knew. Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to her that evening, and we are so sad to have lost her.

I had still hoped to find the time and energy to write this Week’s Wonder report. There’s a topic I care very deeply about that I hoped we could discuss. But this is not the time. After the emotional whirlwind of the past three weeks, I need a chance to rest and recover. I need to catch my breath again.

This, too, is a wonder … that life unfolds before us in a kaleidoscope of pain, joy, suffering and hope. That despite all our efforts, there’s much to life we cannot control or predict or even stop. It just keeps coming. Yet somehow, in His love, through our faith God ushers us through it all.

“A bent reed He will not break off And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice” (Isa. 42:3).

We’ll pick up here next week.

I wonder … what joy and sadness are you holding together in your own life right now? How do you do it? How does God meet you in both?

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Well, you’ve come to the end of another Wonder Report. Thanks again for joining me. It’s a privilege to share this space with you and to enter into these conversations together.

As always, if you’d like to send me a note or ask a question, you can hit reply and end up in my inbox. Or you can also leave a comment on this newsletter, which will live in the archive over on Substack. I can’t always respond quickly, but I always respond.

Until next time,
Charity