Reflections 8/22/2020: Well, once again, good news first. My tumor markers dropped even lower even without chemotherapy this last 3 weeks! HALLELUJAH!!! The bad news, (or at least unwanted news), is that my left knee has no options left but a full knee replacement. Wanting a little respite time, I scheduled it for the beginning of December and opted for a cortisone shot in the meantime. 😳 As I read over the booklet about knee replacements, and it described the process of arthritic deterioration over the years, resulting in less insulating cartilage and increasing bone-scraping-bone pain, it made me think about our emotional aging process. Life’s wear and tear on our feelings over time. Hurts, anger, grief, unforgiveness, fear, distrust and unasked for traumatic experiences grate away at our insulating cartilage of kindness. Thus the often (well-deserved) stereotype of a grumpy old man, or cranky old woman. Not only due to aching joints, but also an arthritically deteriorated heart. Does that NEED to happen? Automatic? Par for the aging course? I don’t think so God! Perhaps there is a sort of “emotional stem cell therapy” that can regenerate our battered feelings, re-insulating them for smoother interactions with others when they thin to bone on bone. What would that be? For me it feels like a conscious choice to bring my mangled emotions into Your healing Presence, and surrender them to Your stem-celled touch! Owning my own part in the friction. Reading Your Word for redirection. Claiming Your supernatural power to forgive… and love anew. And fixing my eyes on You Jesus, God-come-to-earth, to show us exactly what that looks like in real life! My knee is too late for this stem cell intervention, but my heart isn’t! Have at it!