The year 2005 wasn’t the most fun my family has ever had.

For those of you who may have recently begun worshiping with us at Libertyville Covenant, the chronology went something like this . . .

In late 2004 my wife Sharon had been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, an insidious cancer of the bone marrow, and had begun intensive and exhausting chemotherapy. Our lives became a little more complicated in February, 2005, when our son, Tyler, found a way to break his leg playing broomball at Covenant Harbor, requiring three stainless steel screws in his fibula and a big, blue (Warren color) cast. It was his right leg and, since Sharon couldn’t drive, I became the only available chauffeur in the family. Our daughter, Lindsey, was attending classes at U of I in Champaign-Urbana.

In April I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. July, Sharon underwent the first of two stem cell transplants requiring a month's inpatient at the Bone Marrow Transplant center of Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. August I had radioactive seed implant therapy, and October Sharon had her second stem cell transplant.

By the time Christmas 2005 rolled around we were pretty beat up and yet a strange peace still filled our home. We knew God had been near us through it all and we felt His hand.

At the very beginning of this struggle, Dave Johnson (former LCC senior pastor) told us we should prepare to experience the work of the Holy Spirit in ways that would surprise and astound us. I have the highest respect for Dave, a dear friend, but in the back of my mind I was thinking something like, "Yeah, sure. . ."

Well, Dave was right.

Fast forward to this holiday season. Sharon is in complete remission and a recent bone marrow biopsy shows no myeloma cells. My seed implant therapy has been successful and I now boast a nice, low PSA. I retired after 35 years with my employer and am having great fun. Ty played football his senior year and is now a college freshman. Lindsey teaches at Warren. Sharon has hair.

Through it all we’ve been constantly overwhelmed by the care, support, attention, encouragement, sharing, and love that God has faithfully delivered to our doorstep through our Libertyville Covenant family and staff. Cards, meals, phone calls, meals, visits, meals, prayers, rides, meals – hey, wait: I can’t even start to write about this or mention names because it would take too many pages and I’d risk forgetting someone. You are my heroes. You know who you are.

Sharon and I don't know what the future holds for us but I would like to share two thoughts that have recurred to me in recent months and which will make Christmas 2006 intensely meaningful.

First, we are not in control – you, me, none of us. We’d like to think we are but don’t even kid yourself. When you begin to turn your circumstances over to the Lord a huge weight of responsibility vanishes. Yes, you still have to be diligent about day-to-day plans and decisions but, if you are willing, you begin to sense you are being guided. Even though, as Phillip Yancey says, "God’s only voice is silence" – quiet miracles begin to emerge.

Secondly, we can’t measure up. I’ve been very humbled. With a capital H. When the LCC gang started to lift us up, I kept thinking, "What have I done to deserve this?" I’ve always been on the road and haven’t been around to do as much work or service for the church as I'd have wished. People we barely knew reached out to us.

Then I realized none of us can ever completely merit the love God lavishes on us. We can’t validate, in John Lunde’s words, "the blessings He constantly rains down on us." Try to be deserving of God’s care and grace? Furggetaboutit. But we can continue to stand in a posture of gratitude and accept the blessings of the Christ child without guilt; even expect His blessings without guilt!

Each of our last two Christmases has been special in its own way. Magical in ways I can’t describe and largely so because of you, His LCC angels. May you feel his Spirit abundantly as we have.