THE BASKET CASE

Mar. 13, 2022

I had seen patients all day and it was dreary , cold, and rainy. My family met in the office parking lot and we started on our nine hour jaunt. I tried to enlist help in the driver's seat but to no avail and so on we went. They all slept most of the way except for occasional bickering . I was exhausted. I was wiped out after about 8 hours as the windshield wipers chanted to me all the way in unison,' You are tired, You are tired! '

It was many years ago ,and yet I do remember it was a Thursday . Our oldest son Joshua needed to go up to Dubuque University to look into the possibility of playing basketball for them. He wanted to study aviation ,and we were told they had a great flight program.

We were an hour or so shy of our destination and for me it was game over. I secured a room and my brain was Jell-O. I had asked another earlier about my route up to Dubuque. I wanted to confirm as well as ask another question .

I thanked him for his help and started to turn away. I forgot the main reason that had walked down to the main office.

I staggered down to the front office. I look haggard and worn. I could barely keep my eyes open. At the front desk was a slim young man that looked like he could be on the cover of GQ magazine. After saying hello I asked him to confirm my plans and route the next morning. All I had to do was drive around the Cracker Barrell restaurant and head 60 miles straight north on highway 60. No way! Even I couldn't screw that up!

I told him I had another question and he crouched and held up as if hold a catcher's mitt . He told me he was ready. I asked him if he could see the clock on the wall. Now I would like to think of myself as a wordsmith .This was not my best moment. To this day, I wish I had a copy of this conversation on video. I told him it said it was 7 minutes till tomorrow and he smiled and told me once again I was spot on. I asked what time is it up there in Dubuque right now. He told me it was the same time up there as well as all of Iowa. He smiled as he answered what was I am sure in his mind a silly question. I thanked him again and went out the door and off to see if I could find our room all by myself. I apologize to all the other residents of my beloved home state of Indiana. I left him I feel with the impression that all Hoosiers are like Forrest Gump.

I had shared this story many times in the office with patients. I think by doing so it reminds me to be a little more open to the fact that sometimes a silly question is not at all but they know in reality much more about the subject than we do and are even aware.

I wish I had the time and energy to explain that I am from a place where about about 15 miles away is a different time zone, even though it is the same state. He would be surprised to hear and learn of this. He might even at first question this knowing that this could indeed cause a state of confusion. Maybe he would google and find my question was not so silly once he knew where I was coming from.

I feel I am a much better doctor than I was years ago. I have had cataracts and cataract surgery in both eyes. Before I was taught about them from books , lectures, and articles. They are no match as to trying to look through them and laying on an operating table looking up and into the various colored lights as they cut on your precious eyes. I can now easily answer from my own journey and what at one time would have threw me for a loop, now makes perfect sense.

It will shield you from a state of confusion or maybe now a country of confusion. It will keep you from being a basket case and you will be able to dispense more grace not because of what you know but because of who you know.

Life has many lessons ahead for all of us that we cannot learn any other way. We all have a long way to go and it is much later than you think. I want you to read you Bible and let God share with your stories and lessons that will help you on your journey as is its purpose.

My God , in you and you alone we trust. Please love and help others through us. Amen

Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it.

Lewis Carroll

Trust one who has gone through it.

Virgil

He who knows best knows how little he knows.

Thomas Jefferson

Judge people by their questions rather than by their answers.

Voltaire

There are places you are better off not visiting. There are people you should not be alone with. There are circumstances you need to avoid. In your heart , you will know what they are. If you are wise, you will pay attention.!

Bob Barnes

As you come up our drive and after you cross the small creek,you pass between two field stone

pillars that match the stones on our home. There is a light atop both of them . Right now, one is green and the the side is white. The green light is to show support for all the people who serve our military as well

as those who have done so in the past.

At Christmas i hang white lights along the 4 rail horse fence. We change the white one to red and

The entryway is good to go. The placement of the red and green has a reason behind it as well.

It may seem to be be random but Iassure you is not the case.

On a plane the red light is always on the left side and the green is on the right side. green and right both

have 5 letters and this was how I was taught to remember as a boy. This applies to boats as well.

Our oldest son, Josh, is a navel aviator. He and his wonderful wife , Christina, are a week or two from going

to Japan. They have lived in several places over the last few years. They lived in Fallon Nevada

most recently and we were blessed to have all of our boys and their girls under our roof and together

the holidays.

Since they aproached our farm from the west the right light was green and the left one was on the left

came home. When they were out east in Va it was the reversed. Japan is on the other side of the world

so I am not sure what I will do. I have not stepped it off but am told it is about as far east to west as it is

west to east.

God is a concerned loving Father who loves you so much! He has made a way for you to come

home through his son Jesus. The porch light of heaven is on . You have a green light my friend.

Because of the red blood of Jesus ,your sins are forgiven . Your approach is cleared as well as all your sins.

As far as the east is from the west,so far has removed our transgressions from us.

Psalm 103:12

ENTRY

Yesterday I went out to check on the horses. It has again been vey hot here of late and a daily chore

to top off the water troughs will cool clear water.As I make my rounds the horses ususlly get excited when they hear the sound of our old red ATV. Because this vehicle usally has horse feeds as well as carrots, we c call it "Chuck" short for chuck wagon .

There is a mare and two young ones in the south pasture. I whistled and they did not come. I banged on the

red tubes on the gate with the scooper. It makes a sound that sounds like a hillbilly dinner bell. I had seen them the evening before and knew they were ok. I surmised they had found a place with a breeze and had it made in the shade.

I set the bright orange bucket filled with feed and carrots in front of the gate. This bucket was a physical reminder for me to "lets do this later". I had some mowing to do and that filled several hours of the afternoon. I kept looking down at the water tank seeing they had not yet drank from it and for the first time became a little concerned.

I went down to the gate and did the two tone whistle my dad taught me. I do this in honor of him and have taught my sons to do the same. They all would turn and prick up their earsand know it was me if I did this even in a crowd.

I banged again on the gate and in no time flat heard the three of them flat out running as hard as they could

go. They seemed happy to see me and even more to see Chuck .They were breathing heavy as they devoured their snacks.

My friend I believe God is calling all of us. As we read Scripture, we learn he calls us all differently . Many people tell me after I speak that I missed my calling. I would quite my practice and enroll in seminary school tomorrow if I felt in my heart that is what God wanted for me. I answered my "call to the see" many years ago. I love the interaction I have with patients for the most part. I never would have believed God would and could could use me to write these stories for his glory.

He has blended and used the very things I love and hold dear such as horses, hunting , and rivers . I am often very surprised at how stories and lessons come together in such a way that I know it is not me but him working through me. Here is the exciting part, he wants to do the same with you. You may not be called to write or do eyes but you are being called . What do you do that gives you joy and satisfaction? There is your best clue in regard to what God is calling you to do.

I pray that at times this website feeds you. I write for all God's people and not just those who gather under the steeple. All I know is when I do this with the hope of pleasing my Savior, it just feels so "write"!

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things

you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3

When you empty yourself, God rushes in.

A.W. Tozer

For the man who prays in his heart ,the whole world is a church.

Sylvain of Athos

drgregorygordon

THE BASKET CASE