Our Day At The Oncologist's Office

My wife, Mary Jo, made it through her 4th chemo treatment today with flying colors. Spinal tap, and Methotrexate and Pegfilgrastim shots tomorrow. Tough couple of days for my girl.

We saw six people that we knew at the oncologist's office today either having treatments or tests, or who were there with a relative with some sort of cancer. It was an unreal experience seeing so many friends going through the reality that we are coping with.

The whole day was topped off by a black lady named Mrs. Gray who was sitting across from Mary Jo having a treatment. As Mrs. Gray was leaving, she decided that we needed evangelization. I guess that we looked like lost souls. Even though, I had my Notre Dame jacket on. On second thought, maybe that's what set her off.

Anyway, Mrs. Gray had a pamphlet from Shawnee Baptist with several scripture passages and commentary in her hand. She proceeded to try to convince us for an undetermined amount of time that we were sinners, that Jesus still loved us, and that it wasn't too late to turn our lives around and be saved. She was waving the pamphlet at us, reciting the scripture passages and telling us how we needed to apply them to our lives, IF, we wanted to be saved. AMEN.

She was on such a roll, as one preacher listening to another, I hated to interrupt, to tell her that we already knew all that. Besides, I don't think I could have gotten much more than an Amen in, if I wanted to. We did get a few Amens in before she would go to the next scripture passage.

I did learn some homiletic moves that could be valuable if I am ever assigned to an African-American parish.

Just as the nursing supervisor came up to run Mrs. Gray off. I grabbed Mrs. Gray's hand, thanked her for her prayers and concern for us, and assured her that she would be in our prayers. The nursing supervisor praised us for our patience. So, maybe we have started on the road to righteousness that Mrs. Gray was praying for us.

I think that I'm going to wear my clerics when I go with Mary Jo for her treatments from now on.

Thanks for all of your prayers for Mary Jo. Sometimes, you have to laugh to keep from crying.

All the best to everyone for the New Year.

Deacon Gerry