A year of living.

[Betty in Maine]

"It was decided to have a pulmonolgist drain the lung cavity…."

In a nutshell, and sparing the details, this was very successful and Wayne saw immediate relief. The right side was done last evening, and the left will be done today or tomorrow. Wayne is breathing easier (still on 02), resting and tired. There are other treatment options available should this occur again.

Through all of this, I think we both have been given a deep sense of God's presence, that we are participating in something bigger than us, and in our yielding to this, to God's will to experience this though we may not understand it all, we want Him to be glorified and His will to be done.

I was talking with a friend about how I have to surrender Wayne to God every day, usually more than once a day. It would be lovely if it was just a one-and-done decision. But doing that is honestly the best and right place to be, if not some holy ground itself. My heart breaks and praises God at the same time. I can leave it to Him to put the pieces back together. Bawo.

Thank you for holding Wayne (and me) in prayer.

Betty

[Betty in Maine]

Our son Steven, works at the Maine Maritime Academy, his alma mater. He is responsible for the IT needs on the academy's 500 ft. training ship "State of Maine", or TSSOM for short. The waterfront there is a wonderful place - tugboats, power boats, sailboats, rowboats and Bowdoin - the Artic exploring vessel that is the mainstay of the Academy's Small Vessel program. When our family was involved in Sea Scouts (the lesser known nautical branch of Boy Scouts), we were invited to a 5 day and 4 night sail from Castine to Boothbay Harbor, with that last day culminating in the Windjammer parade. Wayne and I chaperoned our "Ship" (troop) of about 8 teens, and we all participated in learning the ropes of sailing Bowdoin, including sharing the night watches and scrubbing the decks: Soles and Bowls. You can guess what the bowls were.

The Captain of the Bowdoin was a young man named Eric. He ran a well-run ship, and would joined right in with our teens' songs as they polished the brass or start his own. We were privileged to sail on some Autumn day trips, that ended with the scouts helping to unload Bowdoin and take her gear and furnishings to a storage warehouse. Some of her canvas sails weighed hundreds of pounds, and we had a dragon-style line of 20 or so folks hefting them on shoulders and walking them to storage. Eric gave us one of our best sayings that has proven useful again and again: "What's the reward for hard work? More work!"

Steve just happened to run into Eric at a local convenience store yesterday morning. Steve was there to grab a sandwich before driving to the hospital to see Wayne. Eric gave him a handful of carefully knotted crosses to send to our family members. This is from a Facebook post in response to Wayne's prayer requests, including the breathing problems:

"You give life, You are love
You bring light to the darkness
You give hope, You restore
Every heart that is broken
And great are You, Lord
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise to You only
You give life, You are love
You bring light to the darkness
You give hope, You restore (You restore)
Every heart that is broken
Great are You, Lord
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise
It's Your breath in our lungs
Our hearts will cry, these bones will sing
Great are You, Lord" Great Are You Lord
by All Sons & Daughters
· Reply · 15h
Eric Jergenson
to Betty Chesley: " It was playing when I read Wayne Chesley's post."

In a later email from Eric:

"Teri and I make those crosses and give them out to friends, at church, and where ever. When I made the first ones I worked the best I could to close the hole in the middle of the cross. As rope worker it was a matter of pride. I actually didn't hand any out because I wanted to FIX the hole before I gave them away. Then I realized that the hole wasn't a hole. It is a lens. It was a reminder to me to view the world through the lens of the cross. As you and Wayne well know the situations of this world are bleak and hopeless. But through the lens of cross there is hope. It was a God moment that I ran into your son on his way home. I had just filled my pocket with the the survival crosses in the morning "just in case". We are praying for you and hold you all close. Please know I am here for Steven anytime. God bless you and the testimony that your family is living. We serve an amazing God who as already won the war and is present in our daily battles. That original, bloody cross was full of holes when Jesus was taken down as a sacrifice. And since that glorious day the light has shone through those holes and bright Light to the darkness."


I am so thankful for brothers and sisters who listen to promptings and pto still small voices.. May God be praised.

[QuietlyListening]

It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise
It's Your breath in our lungs
Our hearts will cry, these bones will sing
Great are You, Lord" Great Are You Lord

Betty, we sang that song not long ago in church and for some reason the above chorus has kept coming back to me in the middle of the night for the past week. Now when it comes to me I will also be thinking of both of you and be praying, have been praying but this will be a reminder at night too.

Thanks for sharing. May His love, His peace, His presence and His joy envelope you and hold you up.

[Betty in Maine]

Thank you.

[Dan Z]

Hello Friends,

I've just gotten word that dear brother Wayne in Maine crossed into eternity a few moments ago. Betty and two of their three children were able to gather for his passing, along with his son-in-law and one of the brothers from our fellowship. Wayne was strong in faith to the end, and praise God, he did not linger in his suffering. Though very weak, he was able to share briefly with our gathered church fellowship this AM via phone link the phrases: "It is well with my soul" and "It's all joy" - a witness to the gelassenheit he was called to live out these last few months since his diagnosis, until his last breath on earth. Wayne would say that he has simply entered into a new phase of his life in the Kingdom of God, and that for him Eternity had already begun here on earth upon his adoption into fellowship with Christ.

Personally, I'm thankful for Wayne's friendship over the years - he was a brother, friend, and teacher to me, and I will miss him. A few more of us are headed to Maine in the next few hours (including his youngest daughter who is en route) to be together in support of Betty and the family. Your prayers for them as they grieve would be, I'm sure, gratefully received.

[ohio jones]

Thanks for letting us know, Dan. He will be missed. I've been blessed by his life, and especially by his posts over the last few months.

[QuietlyListening]

Thanks for letting us know. Been praying and will continue to pray for his family and those close to him. His sharing on this post a year of living has been such a blessing and encouragement.

[MaxPC]

Condolences and prayers for his family on Wayne's passing. May he rest in joy and peace.

[mike]

Dan, I’m sorry for your great loss. But especially our prayers will be with Betty and the family. Please convey to them all how much we at mennonet have valued his astounding example of the triumphant passing of a follower of Jesus.

[RZehr]

I will miss him here. He has finished the course, he has kept the faith.