2013 – Glad to put you behind!
Read:
Philippians 3:8-14
2013
was a tough year. My 90 year old larger-than-life Dad died in Ohio
after a long two months battling a multitude of illnesses that
finally came together in a bad way in Mid-February and Susan, my
wife, had to fight with the medical providers on obtaining a new
long-term treatment for her concussion. We lost a tenant (and were
able to find a replacement) in our small industrial building after
making some major repairs, and Susan’s only uncle passed away in
mid-summer due to pervasive cancer. Our beloved 8-year old dog, Toby,
passed away at late in the year to a fast-acting lymphoma, and I had
the continuing business battle to gain against the slow recovering
economy.
We
are not alone with the curves that life throws to us all; taking one
step at a time we prevailed and worked our way through each of the
issues. With the wonderful support of my 3 brothers and their wives
and the continuing care facility where my parents had lived for over
15 years, we got all the funeral arrangements accomplished, and got
Mom settled in the her new one-room suite where she was welcomed and
supported by her friends in the facility (and enough funds for her
remaining years, thank goodness!). Sue did get the authorization for
her year-long concussion treatment, and her uncle’s affairs were in
order and required only a small amount of our attention. Our new
industrial tenant seems to be working out okay and we are on-the-hunt
for a dog, probably of the rescue variety.
In
2014, our kids all have new adventures such as Andrew’s new GM
marketing job, Katie is due in June with our first grandchild, and we
hope Sgt. Ben will be safe for nine months in Afghanistan as a clerk
with his Michigan National Guard transportation unit. They will be
located in a long-established US Military base (his third deployment
in the Mideast over the years) where they will be involved in getting
our military equipment out of the country. Sue is looking forward to
developing a relationship with a new dog, and 2014 is looking better
on the business front.
This
sounds like a family Christmas letter, sorry Charlie, I will get to
the Lent perspective now. 2013 was tumultuous and difficult. One
affirmative constant in 2013 was GPUMC. The friendships and religious
support over the entire year was something that Sue and I could count
on to provide the bedrock to lean upon when many things in our lives
were in disorder. We tried to give back during the year, particularly
with our choir membership, and that focus gave us some ability to
concentrate on the positive and pro-activeness.
Thank
you GPUMC!
Yours
in Christ,
Dave DeWitt
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