Let Down Your Bucket

I’ve been away from my blog for quite a while.   My apologies, but sometimes life gets busy, and frankly, I was very tired as I tried to recover from the flu while getting up several times a night with Lynn.  It was a rough road!  There were days when I was pretty discouraged! However, as I’ve traveled along my life path these past couple of months, and gotten my strength back, it is easy to see that during this time I have been blessed with some awesome gifts.  Among them:

-Lynn’s blood pressure has stabilized at a healthy range, generally reading about 120/80.  Since his diagnosis in 2003, it has always been far too low, and we have tried all kinds of things to get it into a more healthy range so that he wasn’t passing out or falling.  Anything that worked at all only worked for a few hours then needed to be re-administered.  It wasn’t correcting the problem, and his BP was always erratic.  What a blessing that we’ve found something that works!

Lynn has also been sleeping more soundly, and generally has more stamina.  Since he’s sleeping better, I’m also getting more rest—and I do love my rest!!

Spring in Utah has been rainy and the lawns are vibrant green.  I am totally enjoying that gift while it lasts, since it is all too uncommon for this high mountain desert.

I’ve enjoyed lunch out with friends, and respite through the services of volunteers, neighbors, and family.

I’ve had a lovely massage—and I’m looking forward to another one.

I’ve received greeting cards expressing friendship, love and appreciation.

   I’ve heard some wonderful stories that have uplifted and encouraged me to stay hopeful, happy and grateful.  Usually, when the hospice chaplain visits, she shares a story.  This is one she related some weeks ago:

  LET DOWN YOUR BUCKET*

A party of shipwrecked sailors was drifting in an open boat on the Atlantic Ocean.  They had no water, and were suffering agonies from thirst.  Another small boat came within hailing distance, and when the shipwrecked mariners cried out for water, the newcomers said, “Let down your bucket.”  This sounded like cruel mockery.  But when the advice was repeated several times, one of the sailors dipped the bucket overboard—and amazed, drew up clean, fresh, sparkling water!

For several days they had been sailing through fresh water and did not know it.  They were out of sight of land, but off the estuary of the Amazon, which carries fresh water many miles out to sea.

"Closer is He than breathing; nearer than hands and feet,” wrote Alfred Tennyson.  We live in the presence of God.  Let down your bucket.

  

*Emmet Fox, Around the Year With Emmet Fox—A Book of Daily Readings, 132.

When life leaves us weary, it is easy to feel discouraged by the demands that surround us.  Too often we believe those demands define, and will always define, all our life.  However, God never leaves us alone.  If we take a few moments to assess our blessings, we will see that we are surrounded by the life refreshing waters of friendship, love, and nurturing.  All that is good comes from God, and He has sent us many gifts through friends, family, and sometimes strangers.  Gifts enough to fill our bucket and renew our strength!