I began rereading (for the 3rd time) Out of the Blue by Greg Murtha. Greg was a 46 year old man, a long-distance runner, an entrepreneur, and a very self-motivated man. After an 11 mile run, in which he felt at the top of his game, he knew something wasn’t right. The words, “Mr. Murtha, you have cancer” rocked and changed his world. Even more, Aggressive Stage 3 colon cancer (later upgraded to Stage 4). Given the state of Janna’s fiance’, Mike, and his Stage 4 pancreatic cancer which has spread to his liver and abdominal wall, I felt it appropriate to read it again. My plan is to share some thoughts from the book (and some of my own) over the next few posts. 

Several quotes have stood out to me in the Introduction and 1st chapter. Here’s one:

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn our, and proclaiming, “WOW!” (p.xviii)

The other is by writer, Bob Goff, the author of Love Does and Everybody Always (2 excellent book I have read):

God’s more interested in our hearts than our plans.” (pp.7-8)

Greg says, “The worst diagnosis is the best thing that ever happened to me because it changed my heart.” (p.8) 

I can remember reading a book (several times) by the late Tim Hansel, entitled You Gotta Keep Dancin’. Tim was an avid outdoorsman when a freak accident mountain climbing changed his life forever. He landed upside down in a crevasse and when he came down from the mountain he felt smaller. The physical damage to his body played itself out in numerous ways as he got older but Tim refused to allow it to stop him. “Dancin’ is a wonderful and encouraging book where Tim encourages us to choose joy in the midst of life’s hurts. He closed his book with this quote:

There is no box made by God nor us but that the sides can be flattened out and the top blown off to make a dance floor on which to celebrate life. Kenneth Caraway (quoted on p. 143)

No life is “charmed.” We all face trials, difficulties, set backs, and challenges. My prayer is that whatever comes my way will be met with faith and trust in the ONE who knows all and controls all. I want to be used up when I breathe my last breath, knowing I gave it all for the glory of God. 

{Please check back tomorrow for an update…and no, that is not clickbait}