Keep A-Goin’

Those who know me at all are in stunned silence at the fact that I am making a reference to poetry. I don’t remember where I first heard this poem, but can only surmise it was being used as a comedy bit on the Beverly Hillbillies, or a segway by Henry Gibson on Laugh In. A common convivial catch phrase used durning family get togethers to break the silence, the simple utterance of the phrase “keep a goin” was always good for a chuckle.

While the poem KEEP A-GOIN’ by Frank L. Stanton (1857-1927) [http://www.scrapbook.com/poems/doc/6072/219.html], is unsophisticated, it seems to put hardships into perspective. To be perfectly honest, maybe that’s why it’s one of the only pieces of poetry that appeals to me.

Last night at chuch, a fellow Prostate cancer survivor friend of mine was telling me of some latest developments regarding his recovery. He too had a prostatectomey via the Da Vinci technology, and has been riding the train to recovery for the last five months. With a huge smile on his face he told me that his latest PSA registered 0.1. He also told me that his Urology team had already started setting up appointments for him to begin radiation treatment.

Way too soon for the doctors to make this kind of decision (without even consulting him I might add), I asked him how he was dealing with it, and he said “I’ll just keep goin.'” And, in using such a simple phrase, it said everything.

He could have been mad, bitter, or any other appropriate emotion one can think of, but instead, he chose to state his action. In an attempt not to get all philosophical, isn’t that all we can really do – keep a-goin’?

Both he and I trust in God’s love for us. We trust in the creator of everything to look out for our best interests in light of his eternal kingdom. Sometimes that means pain and uncertainty. But rest assured, that if you trust that God loves you and wants what’s best for you that sometimes pain and suffering are necessary.

When I watched as my daughters were inoculated as infants, they cried in pain. It was impossible for them to understand at the time, but while they were experiencing pain, it was really for their own good. they didn’t understand this, but I did.

Not that I believe God must always use pain and suffering to help us grow into what he intends for us, but it is one tool in His toolbox.

There have been many books on pain and suffering, but one of the best I have read is by Randy Alcorn called “If God is Good.” [http://www.amazon.com/If-God-Good-Faith-Suffering/dp/160142132X]

I think many followers of Christ tend to forget that there is eternity after this blink of an eye on earth. For me, trusting in God through my cancer experience revealed that there is more to live for. Knowing that God is preparing me for eternity with Him puts things into perspective. I can keep a-goin knowing that God loves me and is working on making me more like Christ (hence the reason for all my pain….he’s got a lot of work to do on me).