This morning, Diane and I were watching The Today Show when we saw a Malibu homeowner interviewed. As you know, a strong wind spread a fire among several mansions, all estimated between $5,000,000 and $21,000,000.
When they asked him about his loss he replied, “This is nothing. Last year our daughter died. This is nothing.”
We understood perfectly.
Yesterday I had my arthroscopic surgery. That would have been a big deal, but it’s really not. For yesterday my niece lost the baby she was carrying.
Grief — true, deep grief — has a way of putting life in perspective.
(Since many of you were praying for me, let me mention that it seemed to go well. I’m supposed to be off my leg completely for a week . . . and then we’ll see. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.)
Glad the surgery went well for you. Blessings on your recovery. My dad died 5 years ago last week from lung cancer. Though I have a perspective and God, friends and time have brought healing, I know I will ALWAYS miss him.
Mike,
How true. I believe grief does have a way of putting things in proper perspective. This past November 10 I lost my wife of 17 years. While she was bravely battling her cancer I overheard a conversation by a lady at the Christian school that meets in our church facility. She was telling the school secretary she had been up all night worrying. She was worrying about whether or not the school provided her child with colored pencils. I thought how often have I in the past worried about things just as mundane. I no longer sweat the small stuff. Thanks for the post.
God bless your ministry,
Kevin Owen
God’s blessings on your niece, and you as you heal.
My deepest sympathies, Mike.
Praying for your family.
That reminds me of something Chris Rock said. Paraphrasing to clean up the language: “We have so much food in America, we’re allergic to food! You won’t find anyone in Rwanda who is is lactose intolerant!”
Whether or not he is right about that, he illustrates how spoiled we are. The little things that worry us are so insignificant compared to the plight of many.
Great post.
I, too, am praying for your family, Mike. Your niece in their loss and for you with your knee surgery.
I have the propensity to whine a little and my mother will come back at me with, “Did anyone you love die today? Then, it’s a good day.” I always hate when she says that but it’s so true.
Yes, I agree with others in sympathizing for your loss. And your point is so true.
Here on the Mississippi Coast, most whining is followed up by: But, I live in my house, so I’m thankful.
Of course, many still do not live in their house.
Oh Mike! What a tragedy for your niece and for the rest of your family. I’m heartbroken for y’all!!
Amid that whilwind of grief, may your recovery continue on its textbook path! We’ll miss you.
Humpf! Blessings to them. 
Also, my heart’s prayers go out to Diane and Chris. They’ll be living with a type-A caged for a week?
Prayers go up for your niece and her family. Happy healing from your recent surgery. Thanks for reminding us about how brief we are and how blessed we are.
So very sad to hear of your nieces loss.
So often people think that just because a child has not yet been born that there is no real bond formed. How very wrong they are. The bonds between a child and mother begin forming as soon as the child does. My Daughter lost a child before she even “knew” she was pregnant. It was still several weeks before she got over the saddness of the loss and even though the embryo was only a few days old she gave it a name and thinks of it often. Please let your niece know that there are many around the world who read your blog that will be in prayer for her emotional and physical well being.
I’m so sorry about your family’s loss. I can’t imagine what your neice must be going through.
Prayers that you will be up and running (literally) as soon as possible!
Thanks for the update Mike - God’s swift healing for you and your niece.
Mike, I know you are a patient man, but those knees take a while to really rehab. It all depends on how extensive the surgery was of course. I always thought that orthoscopic surgery meant that in a couple of weeks everything would be fine. I had mine last May and am still slowly recovering. Don’t you love the encouragement I am giving? You are so right about perspective. If you have your family nothing material matters. A miscarrage is something that no man can hope to understand, but I have been told by many women that a lot of men just don’t get it all how bad it really is. Our prayers are with you both.
While I was in college, we had a tradition at the Christian Student Center every Thanksgiving. Before the holiday, we all met to have a meal together the night before everyone went home.The tradition was that before we started eating, we all passed around a basket of rolls. As we took a roll we were to tell everyone at the table one thing that we were thankful for. As the rolls were passed to a friend of mine sitting next to me, he picked out one of the warm rolls and proclaimed, “I’m just glad to have a roof over my head and decent clothes to wear.” He set the roll on his plate and passed the basket to me. He then took a bit of some green beans on his plate and without thinking, he exclaimed, “You know, these beans could have been cooked a little more!” Everyone at the table, except him, just burst out into laughter. He didn’t realize the irony of what he had said. Oh how quickly we forget.
so, so true. One of my favorite blog postings, bro. Miss you. Looking forward to being on the West coast with you.
B
“Grief — true, deep grief — has a way of putting life in perspective.”
Thanks.
So sorry to hear about your niece. My husband and I went through the same thing and understand how tragic that can be. We’ll be praying for her.
As for the couple on the Today Show. I’ve always watched people who are on TV being interviewed due to fire, storms, etc.. and you can tell the ones who’ve been touched by tradegy compared to the ones who haven’t. They’re the ones whose life has been put in perspective.
I attended a funeral of a nine year old boy once and someone there remarked that this was a bad day for his parents. Since then I have never made the remark that I’m having a bad day.
Mike,
One of the reasons you give so much life to so many of us is because you’ve died in real pain so often….II Cor. 4:12.
Thanks for keeping the things which really matter in front of us!
Yesterday a good friend of ours called me and asked to the inevitable (days to weeks barring a miracle) funeral of his wife who is in MD Anderson with cancer. Kim and I immediately drove to Houston to be with them. We returned a little bit ago. Walking through the halls of MD Anderson is like a Perspective Overdose.
Good Post Mike.
Mike..I don’t know if you remember..when we heard about Megan we were out of town and when we got home it had just been a few days but Whitney was insistent on going over to your house and giving you an angel she had picked out. I felt so rude knocking at your door after dark and felt we were intruding..but you welcomed Whitney in and let her give you both her present. Mike, to this day Whitney holds a special place in her heart for you and Diane. She saw you in your grief and her heart was moved. She saw you in your realness. I have cherished every time you have brought up Megan in your sermons as my children sit there because you are teaching them about realness, sadness and love. I grieve for your niece and for your family. I pray that you have a speedy recovery with that knee. God bless you and your sweet Diane.
I prefer rose-colored glasses
You are absolutely right. I have a sister that had surgery last week and it is worse than they thought so they have to go back in next week for more radical stuff. Then the chemo and radiation begins. My troubles are nothing.
Grief puts a lot of life in perspective.
A few years ago while everyone was reading “The Prayer of Jabez” The Door Magazine pointed out the other rather obscure figure in the Bible named Job. If the prayer of Jabez teaches us that things can always get better then the Prayer of Job teaches us that they can always be worse.
http://wittenburgdoor.com/archives/prayer_of_job.html
Joel…Job rocks!!