March 14, 2023 AM Post

       I thought I’d send an early morning post before I head to the bone biopsy that is intended to give us insight about the Multiple Myeloma or whether it is Smoldering. I am to be at the Clinic at 10 CST. It is the first time as a pastor that smoldering would be preferred. You may have heard some smoldering sermons from me that never broke into flame. 
       Thanks for your prayers this morning as I deal with the side effects of the radiation and the bone biopsy.
       I’ve tried to space out stories so no day’s blog is beyond reading.
       On Sunday morning I got a text from Mike Courtney who many of you know.  Mike traveled with our quartet when we were in our early 20s for about a year.  It was one of the best years of my life in lots of ways.  We toured the Holy Land and sang in Jerusalem.  
Mike had three younger sisters and I had two older sisters.  He’s really the only brother I have ever known and I think it’s a mutual thing.
       Mike’s text told me that he was praying for me and asked me if I would pray for him because he was preaching that morning.  He sent me the link so I watched online right after our worship was over.
       It’s a large church in Murfreesboro, TN.  A tad more Pentecostal than his Nazarene upbringing.  I am watching online and Mike stops in the middle of the service and says, “I’m going to take personal privilege to pray for my brother, Chuck, who is at the Mayo Clinic.”  He stopped their service and lead over 800 Pentecostals in prayer for me.  Words cannot express how humbling that was.
       Mike called me this morning.  He asked some of those questions that only another pastor would know to ask.  Everyone ought to have a brother like Mike who is always in your corner.  I am blessed to have several—some in the corner, some in the back of the room, one heading to Rochester on Thursday to ride or drive me home, and lots who are on their knees figuratively and literally. 
       Last evening I thought I was about done with the day.  I am still trying to use the scientific method to determine if the calories in ice cream can be worth it.  One sample is not enough data.
       I ordered a couple of scoops of vanilla and paid for it in advance.  I am told that on other occasions a person usually has had to wait less than five minutes before the ice cream manifests itself.
       I sat down at a table in the lobby near the restaurant.  A couple of guys had their picture taken in front of the fireplace.  They plopped down not too far from where I was seated.  It wasn’t long before one of them and I began a conversation.  Paul was born in the Twin Cities but has lived in Chattanooga for several years.  It doesn’t take long in Rochester to know that he was at the Clinic as was I for treatment.
       He’s just a tad older than I am.  He’s a believer who was saved during the Jesus Movement about the same time I gave my heart to Jesus.  I had little doubt when I started talking with him that he was a believer. 
       As you would expect, we shared with each other why we were at the Clinic.  Here’s the kicker.  He came to Mayo because he is dealing with two different types of cancer.  Sounds pretty familiar. 
And then the second kicker: One of them is Multiple Myeloma.  It seems pretty farfetched to me to believe that “coincidence” has that kind of power to place us together to mutually encourage and be prayer partners for one another.
       It might be the same “coincidental” power that caused my ice cream not to be served until 20 minutes after I had ordered it, instead of the usual 4-5 minutes at most.  Had it, I would have missed meeting Paul.
       It’s far easier to believe in a God who works in all things to bring about His good, isn’t it? 
       Paul could use another prayer warrior or two as the Clinic team seeks the best treatment for Him.  God well knows who he is.
       The Lord willing, I will write an evening blog to let you know how the biopsy went.