Today

Wayne is slipping away bit by bit. He is still comfortable and he is still able to squeeze our hand with his right hand to indicate responses. His breathing gets shallower and the pauses in his breathing longer. But he is still with us and he still knows when we are present with him.

His sister Faye and his brother-in-law Chuck and their children along with a nephew from Virginia spent about 2 hours with him today. They went with us to the football banquet. I had hoped to give a little more eloquent tribute to Wayne, but when I stood up and saw the sea of purple and gold and was struck with how much Wayne LOVED that environment, I was just barely able to hold onto my composure. Wayne would have known every player and every player's family. He would have been able to discuss every play of every game. He would have been moving from table to table slapping backs, cracking jokes, shaking hands, handing out compliments and distributing snapshots he had taken through the year. Instead, he was laboring to breathe, lying rag-doll-like in a bed. Stinson stepped up and bailed me out. They would rather have heard from Stinson anyway, but he is not the speech-giving type. So it was all the more touching to me when he did what he does not like to do so he could honor his dad.

May I ask you a favor? Tomorrow morning in your Sunday School classes, would you pray specifically that the completion of Wayne's healing will come without fear or distress for him? How encouraged we would be to know that God's people all over the world are simulcasting prayer for Wayne as we gather around him for our own family's worship. Thank you in advance.