I jumped in the car after meeting with Dr. Leung and drove six hours before I stopped for the night about 1:15 a.m. our time.  Dr. Leung was about an hour later than the appointment time or I likely would have headed on home.
 
      The wait was worth it to see Dr. Leung, as was the two-and-a-half-day trip to go to Rochester and back.  I wanted to see the expressions on his face, as well as to look into his eyes.  I couldn’t have gotten either of those on a video or Zoom call.
 
      The news was as expected.  I knew the results of the bone marrow biopsy before he did.  He confirmed that I now have had three straight MRD-negatives.
 
      The protocol is to have two years of treatment and two MRD-negatives a year a part, which I have had, before making a decision on continuing chemotherapy or not.  Dr. Leung’s desire is for me to have six more months of chemo and then return to Mayo Clinic for more testing.  If the tests are the same as the ones last month, then his advice will be to discontinue chemotherapy.
 
      With as well as I have done, if the tests come back negative in September, Dr. Leung believes that it could be 4-5 years before the myeloma would return.  His belief is that multiple myeloma will not reduce my longevity and that I will die of something else.
 
      By God’s grace, that is as good of news as we could have hoped.  It looks like you might have to put up with me a tad longer.
 
      It’s headed for 2:00 a.m., but there are two stories I have to share.
 
      I walked out of Mayo 10E at about 5:00 p.m.  I saw no one in the waiting room nor any of the staff behind the “check-in” desk.  I headed to the elevator and just as the doors were closing a woman slipped onto the elevator.
 
      I guessed her to be in her mid-40s.  She was wearing “the scarf” and it was obvious that she was being treated for cancer by chemotherapy.
 
      I am on the elevator with another cancer patient and my heart went out to her.  I asked, “How did your appointment go?”
 
      She paused for a moment, looked down at the floor, and said, “About as good as I could have expected.”
 
      She then looks up and asks me, “How about yours?” 
 
      All I could say was, “About the same.”
 
      We got off the elevator on the subway level and I headed toward the elevator for the parking garage.  I lost sight of her until I got to the line waiting to get on the parking garage elevators.  It was then that I realized that she was directly in front of me in line.
 
      She turned and realized that I was behind her.  As she turned back around I said to her, “I am going to be praying for you.”  “Thank you” was her response.
 
      My car was on the fourth floor of the parking garage.  I had walked the four flights down when I got to the Clinic.   The line was very long waiting for the elevator.  There are three elevators going to the eight levels of the garage.  They were on the sixth, seventh, and third floors, the latter one going up.
 
      I was in a hurry to get on the road so I decided to book up the stairs.  It’s been a while since I have walked up four flights of stairs.
 
      I got to the landing on the fourth floor.  As I passed by the elevators the middle door opened and out she walked. 
 
      She smiled and said, “You took the stairs?”  Yes was about all that I could say.
 
      We headed to the fourth-floor level of the garage and she went the same direction as I was going.  She got in her car.  It was parked next to mine.  What are the chances?
 
      At 5:00 in the afternoon Mayo Clinic shuts down and lots of folks headed to their cars.  Four levels above us were all wanting to get on their way and no one seemed to be willing to let either of us out.
 
      After what seemed like 10 minutes, though it was probably maybe five or so, I couldn’t stand it any longer.   This woman needed to get home.   I got out of my car and pecked on her driver’s side window.
 
      “Would you like me to help you get out?” I asked.  She had been talking to her husband, making sure that he had picked up their son.  She said, “Sure, that would be nice.”
 
      I walked out into the line of traffic and stopped it with a smile and a thank you wave.
 
      As she was leaving she asks me, “Would you like to get out, too?”
 
      That honestly wasn’t my intention.
 
      There are God moments when a 10 minute encounter with someone can help make someone’s day somewhat brighter. 
 
      And I will keep my word to pray for her.
 
      I finally got on the road and headed south.  Well, actually east and then south.
 
      I really didn’t plan to stop after just two hours but nature called and I stopped at a Burger King that was connected to a C-Store.
 
      I got fuel in the car and then went to the counter to order a Double Whopper.  I eat burgers with no cheese, mayo, or bread.  There’s far less sodium than on a deli sandwich.
 
      The lady who took my order had a sweet spirit about her.  I’d guess she was 50ish.  She smiled as she took my order and was very gracious.  I didn’t ask, but I’d not be surprised if she was a believer.
 
      I took a $20 bill out of my billfold and handed it to her for the $9.00 or so meal.
 
      There must be something about Burger King ladies that moves my heart.  I’d only given away part of the money I had set aside for the Lord to use to bless servers because of the one-toothed Burger King lady.
 
      The Spirit nudges me, “Give her the $10.00 change.
 
      I asked for a cup for some ice and when she handed it to me I slipped the $10 bill across the counter and said, “This is for you.”  The look on her face was priceless.  She gasped for a moment and said, “Thank you.”
 
      I got the impression that clerks at Burger King don’t get too many tips, especially not $10 ones.
 
      While I was getting a cup of ice she passed by me as she took someone else’s order to their table.  The smile was still on her face.
 
      I got in the car and literally started laughing somewhat uncontrollably as I started the car.
 
      The Apostle Paul wrote that God loves a cheerful giver.  The word in the original is “hilaros.”  God loves a hilarious giver.  I experienced the meaning of what Paul wrote. 
 
      I encourage you to try being a hilarious giver sometime, especially when someone isn’t expecting it.
 
      You might just make their day.  And yours.
 
      I  am off to bed.

      I began writing this while sitting in the waiting room on Mayo Building 10th floor, desk E.  Mayo 10E is where Dr. Leung, my main doctor here, has his office.  I have been here often.
 
      Almost a month ago I had tests and other doctor visits, but Dr. Leung was unavailable on that visit.  I made the choice to return to Rochester to see him in person, rather than by Zoom. 
 
      I also made the choice to come alone.  Oreo, our aging dog isn’t doing well, and we hated to leave her with someone else.  Sometimes alone isn’t a bad thing.  I spent the first part of the trip yesterday with the radio off and my “heart to pray” on.  I should do that more often.
 
      The trip here was different than most times that I have come to Mayo.   I usually leave after church on Sunday and end up getting here before midnight.   Yesterday I left about nine in the morning so I got to Rochester early in the evening.
 
      Instead of heading to the hotel, which is within eyesight and walking distance to Mayo, I headed to eat at Teresa’s favorite restaurant.  As I made my way to the hotel, still in the daylight, I didn’t get that usual feeling of apprehension mixed with hope when I drive into Rochester and see the Mayo buildings.
 
      I know the results of the tests and I believe that I know that what I will hear this afternoon should be good news.  It has been an almost stress-free trip to Mayo.
 
      Well, at least until I got on the Mayo elevator and punched the 10th floor button.  I can’t explain it, but I had this anxiety flow into my heart.  It’s not a fear.  It’s not a worry. It’s not crippling.
 
      I had intended to do some things while I was waiting.  I came two hours early just in case.  The “just in case” rarely works out, but it was worth a shot.  It didn’t today.  It looks like I will be happy if they call me close to my appointment time.
 
      The anxiousness remained when I sat down.  If you have read many of these blogs, you know that I write when things are on my mind and heart.   Putting them down helps me deal with some things. 
 
      Sometimes I pray.  Sometimes I speak with others.  And sometimes I write.  Some of the blogs I have never sent; they ended up being just for my benefit.  This may be one of those.  Honestly, my heart has quietened as I have written—though not completely! 
 
      Prayer at this point isn’t for results, it is for a calmness in my heart. 
 
      I am blessed beyond measure.  Last week I met with a guy who was giving me an estimate on some things at the house.  It didn’t take long to realize that he was a believer.  I shared with him a small part of my story.  He had one response: GRACE!
 
      He was right as I have shared.  It is only by God’s grace that I have come this far.  And whatever I hear this afternoon will be because of God’s grace.     
 
      Instead of doing some things that I intend to do, I spent about 30 or 40 minutes in the Word trying to better understand grace. 
 
      Grace is a “post Cross” concept.  Grace is mentioned only 13 times in the Old Testament; only three or four that wouldn’t be about a person’s character.
 
      Grace is mentioned only 3 times in the Gospels, all of them in John’s Prologue where he speaks of Jesus being full of grace and truth.
 
      Grace comes in a variety of ways.  There is saving grace as Paul says in Ephesians 2 that “we are saved by grace.”
 
      There is sufficient grace that comes when God chooses not to remove a thorn in the flesh and says, “My grace is sufficient for you.”
 
      There is dying grace when God calls us to His eternal glory.
 
      There is undeserved blessing by God’s grace.
 
      There is grace that enables us to overcome temptation.
 
      And there is simply “living” grace that enables us to live as His followers every day.
      
      In the vast majority of references to grace, grace is something that is given.  Grace is a gift from God, a gift we don’t deserve, but is given to us out of the Father’s great love.
 
      Writing, prayer, and study of the Word is a pretty good treatment for handling anxiety.
 
      I feel better, somewhat.  As the time for the appointment comes, not fully at peace.  The rest of my life somewhat hinges on what the doctor decides.  I guess maybe I ought to be a tad nervous.
 
      I will tell you the results of the visit tomorrow after I get back to Kentucky!  I will hit the road as soon as I can.