Since my last post, my father-in-law had a stroke and had to be rehospitalized. (He had been in the hospital earlier in the month for surgery and released after 10 days.) I wrote this we learned yesterday that he had had to have emergency surgery.

Rollercoaster, or, The Pain of Another's Pain

Frustrated sadness hearing of the likely stroke;
We are so far apart in geography,
So close in heart.
And prayers were pled for from the continent and
From many others elsewhere as well.

We could not dwell on what might be happening,
Or what might have happened;
Prayer was our dwelling place,
So night and day we would face.

Each day has brought its own news
And attendant emotions--sometimes
Up emotions with relief, other times,
Down emotions with grief;
At all times, prayer.

Now we are on the coaster again
Speeding seemingly down
Yet there may be a curve
Then a straight followed
In yet another direction;
And the best we can do is
Hang on tightly
Prayerfully
Thankfully
Trustingly