Yesterday was our most recent visit to the Duke Eye Center. We were at the Cary location and had an encouraging visit with Dr. Mruthyunjaya. Scar tissue has not increased and the tumor is still inactive, perhaps a bit smaller than last time. The retina remains attached. Eyesight has improved a little each visit. The silicone oil that is presently in the eye limits vision to a degree and that will be resolved with a surgery in 2012. Dr. M scheduled our next appointment for December 30. That gives us a nice long two months without a drive over there and time to enjoy the holidays before our next visit. Thanks so much for your continued prayers. My sense is that God has provided you to help carry us through this process.
Thoughts on heaven I mentioned last time…
Isaiah 25:6-9 (NASB95)
6 The Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, And refined, aged wine. 7 And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, Even the veil which is stretched over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken. 9 And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”
Heaven is a real place. The Apostle Paul who was allowed to visit there (2 Corinthians 12:1-4). Consider that there are things in that region of which “man is not permitted to speak.” That seems to indicate that the glory of heaven is so great – the full knowledge of it would dim any appreciation for this life. One Puritan writer described it well in saying that heaven is like an ocean with “no bank and no bottom” – that means, no boundary whatsoever. Someone else has said that this life is our “only opportunity to suffer.” The next life will be full and free of all pain and suffering. Suffering brings us to a point of limiting out delight in this life and focusing our hearts on the next life.
