ASK

//February 10, 2022//

Yesterday was a big day for Kristi. We went to her Oncology appointment and then to the Surgeon to have her staples removed. Sorry, no pictures of the staple removal! Max said Kristi’s scar looks like a centipede. He’s right! It looks like a 14 inch centipede is crawling on her stomach! My Warrior Queen’s battle scar is looking great!

The Oncologist would like to start chemo in two weeks – February 23rd! This is sooner than we expected. His plan is to do 3 cycles of Immunotherapy/chemotherapy infusions, then do a PET Scan. He said that the PET Scan would most likely show that she is in remission. She would then receive 3 more cycles of Immunotherapy/chemotherapy infusions. Another PET Scan should show her cured. We are expecting a full recovery!

Along the way, I am seeking guidance and other opinions. With the advance and change of medicine, I want to check and make sure Kristi is getting the best care and treatment. I have put in several calls to see about alternate opinions and suggested treatments. I have worn the google search engine out searching for treatments, data, and resources. All searches come back with the same response – R-CHOP – an aggressive regiment of immunotherapy and chemotherapy. We have one more appointment next Wednesday with another oncologist to get another opinion. Then, we hit the trial to find a cancer free life. Like Tom Arnould said on Sunday, the cancer journey is a long road with two ditches.

This made me consider how we should go about making decisions. How do you make decisions? How do you make decisions when you are in a crisis situation? How do you pick a path when there is so much noise. How do you stay on a path when there are so many “good” options pulling and swaying your resolve? Are your decisions based on feelings, data, experience, advise?

Have you read Jame’s advise?

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” James 1:5

So many of us want knowledge and information to make an “educated guess”. Most of us have a default response in crisis. Many times these decisions are nothing but a gut feeling or natural inclinations. James encourages us to “ASK”.

My friend, Ross Hill, has three large letters sitting on one of his shelves. The letters are A S K. Every time I’m with him and see those three letters, it reminds me that most things don’t come without asking. Ask for a second opinion. Ask for advise from a trusted friend. Ask for a raise at work. Ask friends and family for prayer. Ask for funding, help, encouragement, companionship, and grace. These all require that little three letter word A S K.

James specifically says, ASK our generous God. When approaching a generous person, we tend to be subtle and careful with our words. We want to make sure we don’t mess up the ASK. James tells us to ASK Him in faith.

“But when you ASK him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6

When we do ASK for wisdom from God, let’s ASK confidently and assuredly that He will answer and give us that supernatural guidance that we are looking for.

Wisdom is not knowledge or experience. Wisdom is a supernatural resource from God. He is the holder of wisdom – but He is incredibly generous when giving it out. It is ours for the receiving as long as we ASK. Solomon, the wisest man who lived, writes about wisdom over and over again in his Proverbs. He tells how wisdom is searching for the simpleminded and is willing to shower him with supernatural awareness and discernment. Most of the time. We try to figure it out on our own – that is the opposite of wisdom. Wisdom is to ASK.

The author of Hebrews says to “come boldly before the throne of our gracious God.” (Hebrews 4:16). He is gracious, generous, and an ASK away from wisdom.

I have been reading a Proverb every day for almost 20 years. A Proverb a day keeps our minds on wisdom and our thoughts towards God. A simple system I use is to read the Proverb that corresponds to the day of the month. So today is the 10th, I read Proverbs 10. Practicing this everyday is good medicine for the soul.

So today, we trust, wait, and ASK.

Ray Rhoton

#kristiswar

#jointhefight

#warriorqueen