Every day I try to meet five goals by the end of that day. These aren’t goals for healthy people as much as for someone like me who feels his life is on hold. If I have lots of time without something productive to accomplish, my mind quickly drifts to the worst case scenario.
Having these goals, then, is a way for me to live within my new reality but It’s dangerous to drift through each day thinking there’s not much I can do to change things and that everything is out from under my control. But setting these five goals has helped me see that such defeatist thinking is wrong. There are lots of things I can do. I even met these goals while in the hospital last week.
Here they are:
- I will complete a spiritual discipline twice each day, whether by myself or with someone else.
This might be our daily Bible reading as a couple that we do first thing every morning. It might be a prayer time, whether alone or with others. It could be journaling with an eye toward laying the words out before God.
This morning, for example, when my thoughts were straying in the wrong direction, I decided to write a gratitude inventory. It got the praises going inside of me and set a good tone for the day. It helped me look at the glass half full instead of half empty.
- I will perform an act of physical exercise twice each day.
This used to mean swimming a mile in the open ocean, jogging several miles, or working hard on a physically challenging project. Now it means a slow walk around the block or accompanying Ann Sophie on a short shopping trip.
Running or swimming is out of the question for me now, because I don’t have enough breath. But even in the hospital, I could gently walk down the hall and back.
- I will accomplish something every day toward my effort of waiting.
Living with lung cancer includes lots of waiting—waiting for appointments, test results, prescriptions, doctor-opinions, changes in medication. I’m also waiting to see what future, if any, I will have. At the moment, my life is in limbo. It could go either way. And so I try to accomplish something positive while I wait.
I think of it as doing the possible so God can do the impossible. For example, I can eat a healthy meal, rest intentionally, take my pills on time, attend an appointment.
- I will work to complete a physical task that will carry with it a feeling of accomplishment.
This might be doing the dishes, tidying a messy table, organizing a file, getting an oil change on the car. It’s something that can be checked off a to-do list in one shot, start to finish, something I’ve been wanting to do.
- I will intentionally do something with my family members and enjoy them in the process.
So much of what God wants us to do in life has to do with people. To miss that by plowing through a day while gritting my teeth just to make it is tragic. None of us know how much time we have with any one person. We need to appreciate people while we have them.
Our days in this apartment include lots of examples of this. We do almost everything together, like eating three meals together, listening to sermons together, attending medical appointments together, praying together, and sharing time with little Will. We wouldn’t have to do it like that, but we’re choosing to.
If I succeed in meeting these five goals each day, I can go to sleep at night knowing I’ve done what I can do, and the rest is up to God.
“Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)
What an uplifting post! Makes me think I should set some goals like that. Don’t want to drift through retirement wasting my time! Thanks for sharing with us. I guess this post comes under #3, but a little bit #1 too! 🙂 <3 I'll keep praying for all of you!
Way to go, Nelson! You’ve always been thoughtful about how you spend your time. Deep respect and tender love to you and yours along with prayers.
You amazes me Nelson! I’m deeply impressed of these daily goals of yours. Way to go. 🥰👏🏻
Love and prayers from all of us in Norway. ❤️
Your daily schedule together as a couple reminds me of the title of a newsletter I used to get from Cedar Lake Bible Conference Grounds titled “The Tie.” The meaning was there is more strength in Two People & even more strength in adding God as Three sources of strength in approaching life one day at a time. May u find the strength u need each day.
Wow! What an encouraging example you are to me! Thank you for this needed exhortation. Three days a week, I am in a chair at the dialysis center for 3 1/2 hours. There is so much I could be doing that is profitable – reading and/or memorizing the Word, going through my prayer list, listing all my blessings. For one year after my husband went to be with the Lord, I wrote a Thankfulness Journal every day for a year. Maybe I will resurrect it! God bless you, dear Nelson!
Wow wow wow!! Just so inspired by you. Love these goals and love you. Praying🙏🏻
Wonderful goals, Nelson. God will help you through them each day. Throughout each day I think about you, and I pray. You are a godly example for all of us.
Nelson –
Thanks for sharing these awesome daily goals with us today. When our daughter-in-law, Laura, was undergoing brain tumor treatment at Duke 4 years ago, I would often take her to appointments there. She was a “people” person, and made several good friends with the patients there, since they would come on the same schedule. Several times we would play her “Who’s the Patient” silly game. We would zero in on a group of people in the waiting room and try to guess which person is the patient, make up stories about them. I still treasure our times together there, even amidst the chemo, doctor visits. Laura looked for life’s sparkles wherever she went, and it helped us all. I am your mom’s 1st cousin, and have been following your family’s highs and lows through the years. Please know that we are holding up all of you in prayer, and we trust in God’s wisdom and direction.
Beautifully written and with such courage and faith in God. Keep your hope alive. H= He (Christ) O=offers P=peace E=eternally. All any of us have is one day at a time and you are right in spending that time with those you love. Our prayers, our thoughts and our faith that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. May God continue to protect, guide and give you all wisdom, hope, peace and his love.
God bless
Wally & Faith Janusz
Nelson, your goals have blessed me! Thank you for setting the bar high for us all. What a testimony to Christ at work in you, even during the most difficult of trials. We send our love to you, your precious Will, your dear mama, and your darling wife, Ann So! Sending love and prayers.