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July Update - The story so far ...

Dear Friends,

June 1st: Went into Treliske Hospital and had major bowel surgery – a 3 hour procedure. The first night I felt something uncomfortable in my back and when the nurse looked my epidural had come adrift. She said that no way could it be reconnected because of the risk of infection. I was put on morphine which could be self-administered, and this continued for 36 hours. Then I felt a voice that I believe to be the Lord say that “the more you have, the more you want”, so I decided to stop using it. They took the machine away and just had paracetamol from then on, which was fine and I had great peace.

June 5th: I was being sent home, but before I left they discovered a part of my wound had become infected and for the whole month since then a nurse has been coming in to dress it daily and am only just reducing this to alternate days. From when I got home I became very ill. The specialist now believes as well as the aftermath of the surgery I had caught an enteritis bug and the effects lasted non-stop for eight days. In the midst of all that was going on the good news came from the laboratory that the polyp was totally benign.

After half a century of knowing the Lord and serving Him something happened to me from the first day in hospital that my good friend Michael Darwood has called the “dark night of the soul”. I had heard this statement a few times and I went through a period of days when I was confident God was there but with no evidence, just trusting in His Word. As I came out of it I felt God was making some big changes. In my devotional life I had prayed for each member of my family and some friends by name daily – at least 33 names – and had done this over most of my Christian life, most sincerely and genuinely. I felt the Lord impress on me that in my relationship with Him devotionally this had taken over. I saw a picture of all these people like a line of standing dominos, and when one falls the whole lot goes over. The Lord emphasised that in my devotional time He wants it to be fresh, majoring on worship and to pray as moved by the Holy Spirit as and when for different family members and friends. Yes, I feel that even my prayer time had become a “religious” activity and it has now been renewed in the Spirit, for which I praise Him.

When I went to see the surgeon for my check-up he said to come back in four months. I am still making very slow progress, not allowed to drive yet, learning and re-learning patience and have come to realise that I am going to have to have at least another month off before I will be ready to renew my itinerant ministry and still hope to appear at Taunton Camp. 27th June was my birthday and Stephen and Anne took me out for lunch, which was most enjoyable.

In it all I want to say that God has been great and in my Bible readings I keep coming across the quote “Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord”. I am so thankful to the Lord and I am longing to get back out into the harvest fields to win souls for Jesus.

I also want to say how good family has been and to say a great big thank you to my daughter-in-law Barbara (Nigel’s wife) who came down to Cornwall and took care of me for 3 weeks and I am so grateful. She certainly went way beyond the call of duty in looking after me.

Well, I hope I haven’t bored you! I thought the best way was to tell it like it is. Thank you to every one of you for your prayers, cards and encouragement. We’ve a way to go yet, but by God’s grace we will get there in His time.

Much love in Christ,

Don