Rumours of my death are greatly exaggerated

Firstly, a big ‘thank you’ to all of you who have prayed, well-wished, sent e-mails, shown concern, and said nice things! It has really meant an awful lot to me, as the last week hasn’t been much fun.

Yes, my posts on my health and the ‘death thoughts’ were related, but not because I’m terminal. I did, however, have some rather ominous, worrying and painful symptoms for something that could have been more than just a bit nasty.

Nevertheless, I was back at the doctors today, and I’m VERY glad to report that after, among other things, some rummaging around ‘where the sun don’t shine’, the doctor has confirmed: I don’t have a tumour.

I get to live!

As for the actual cause of whatever is going on, the results will be in on Monday. But it isn’t cancer. Praise God!

Nevertheless, this scare has somehow been a healthy experience for me. In light of all my morbidity, I think I’ll give up my theological bookshop ram-raiding sprees, and my regular de-heathenising drive-by baptism evenings.

Also, of course, this means my usual prattling will continue unabated, especially as my energy appears to be returning.

‘Tell me, what’s going on, GOD? How long do I have to live? Give me the bad news! You’ve kept me on pretty short rations; my life is string too short to be saved. Oh! We’re all puffs of air. Oh! We’re all shadows in a campfire. Oh! We’re just spit in the wind. We make our pile, and then we leave it. What am I doing in the meantime, Lord? Hoping, that’s what I’m doing – hoping’ (Psalm 39:4-7, The Message)