REALITY CHECK!!!

March 2, 2013 was my birthday, and this year I became 68 years old; it made me think about the future. .. My Dad (Pa) died after a year of fighting prostate cancer, at the age of 71.          So, the way I figure it, I may only have 3 more years to live. .. I've been an end stage renal patient since April 1999, and been on dialysis (where they clean the toxins from my blood,    and remove excess fluids from the body, along with a few other things). .. Dialysis artificially keeps me alive longer by removing toxins from my blood that build up over time, and fluids being retained in my body so that I would not keep swelling up. .. So, I may really only have only three years to go (that's 3 x 52 = 156 weeks, or 156 x 7 = 1092 days to go).                And I've already had six (6) near-death experiences. .. The first, when I was 16 yo, and riding with my Dad (Pa) in a car he drove during the winter through the mountains of eastern Kentucky, where he was inspecting oil wells in which he had invested. We hit a patch of black ice, and were about to go over a 30 ft cliff, when the bottom of the car caught on the ground, and the car teetered there until we could scramble to safety. ... The last occurred when a car pulled out in front of a Raleigh, NC bus I was riding (15C, the Trawick Connector). ... The bus driver slammed on the brakes, and I was in the only seat that didn't have something to brace myself with. ... So I flew forward, and miraculously I rotated around and hit the floor fairly softly. .. Two riders helped me up, and I went on my way.

To show how I look now compared to my High School days I've included three pictures, as shown below. .. Picture 1 was taken in 1963, when I was a Senior in High School, and I was voted Senior Class Yearbook King. .. The lovely girl at my side is Donna Harlow, voted the Yearbook Queen (and was also crowned “Miss Louisville” that year. .. Picture 2 was taken in 2013, when I became 68 yo. .. What a difference 50 years makes! . .. My Dad (Pa) would say  I look like a racehorse that has been “ridden hard, and put away wet”. . Both Pictures 1 & 2 are “head shots”, but Picture 3 shows me standing in March 2013.

Also, I've had balance problems, and gone downhill from walking one mile to dialysis three years ago, to using four-footed cane, and two weeks ago, I started to use a walker (and now the nurses at dialysis have me switch to a wheelchair to go to the restroom to wash my hands, before going home). ... I've gone downhill rapidly in about three weeks!

The question I ask myself is,

“HOW SHOULD I INVEST EACH MINUTE, OF EACH DAY THAT'S LEFT?”

This is a sobering thought, and one that is a life-changer!!

For me, THE ANSWER IS EASY.

I want to spend my last days focused on the people around me, especially my four children:

(Liza, Sarah, Cara, and Tim), and my former wife (Carole). .. My goal is to do ANYTHING I CAN to help them.

Unfortunately, I'll probably live my last days as I have the first 68 years (by trial and error) and I've made a LOT of ERRORS over the years. ... I just seem to fumble my way through life.         Falling flat on my face; picking myself up, and going on, then falling flat on my face again; picking myself up again, and going on, etc. .. [Life just seems to be a series of mistakes, that     I need to correct, before I can go on, (The Bible calls them “sins”, I need to “confess”, or "agree with God" that my behavior was wrong, then “repent" of, or "turn away from” my bad actions (make a 180 degree turn), and start doing the right things)]. 

All of my family (children and former wife) have met Jesus personally, so, I'm sure I'll see them in Heaven. .. The other groups I am closest to are the people at Raleigh Dialysis (where I go three days / week to have my blood cleaned, as discussed above. .. The final group are the small band of families that attend our little Bible Church called, SWCA (Southwest Wake Christian Assembly) .  I think it is best described as an independent, family-integrated, Elder-Led, Family-Friendly, Bible Church, with about 30 families and 150 people attending, and three to four Elders leading. .. The members come from several counties around Wake County, NC (where Raleigh, NC is the capital of the state). .. I think all the adults attending know Jesus personally.

So, my only real place I meet non-Christians is Raleigh Dialysis, and it is there that I have many opportunities to encourage people to relinquish control of their lives to Christ. ... Everywhere      I meet people who are dealing with many different problems. .. It is just a matter of finding out what their problems are, and how I can help each individual solve their problems-

This should keep me busy for the rest of my life (about 3 years)!!!

Bob McConnell

March 2, 2013