NOW WHAT?

As an immutable part of living, one of the aspects we take for granted is, everything we do has a beginning and an end. Why is that? I just returned from visiting my 99.10 year old Aunt who is a Sister of Providence at Terre Haute, Indiana. https://www.smwc.edu/ I only bring this up because this flitted across my mind as I did my Lectio Divina this morning. (Philippians 2:5) I planned to visit my Aunt two months ago. I had to coordinate my schedule (one dog and two cats) and plan where my wife and I would say. I knew that we would take our Yellow Lab, Tucker, with us, and provide for our cats while we were gone for four days. Now what? We had our visit and then stayed overnight in Vincennes, Indiana to visit with my three sisters and their husbands. Now what? We returned to Nashville to stay overnight with our daughter, Martha. Now what? We took Tucker with us and returned home. Now what?

I recommend that you consider that everything we do has a beginning and an end. Then, there is the next event, task, problem, accomplishment, then what? This is the price of our mortality. We have a beginning and an end. Now what? I wrote a book of the same title. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=dr.+michael+f.+conrad&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss

THE PARABLE OF THE RETIRED PHYSICIAN

Once there was a young boy who dreamed of becoming a world-renowned surgeon of the brain and spinal cord. He studied hard and made the MCAT to enter Medical School. And then what?

His passion to help others drove him to levels of excellence beyond the normal student of Medicine. He entered a speciality of brain surgery and was apprentice for five years with some of the most innovate surgeons in the country. His fame spread so much that he had a waiting list of sometimes six months for his specialized surgery. And then what?

He was acclaimed by the top schools of Medicine for his achievements and was sought out by other physicians who would learn from him as he had once learned from his mentors. And then what?

He continued to do good and help heal people for many, many years. Old age caught up with him and he retired from surgery and just did consultation. And then what?

With advancing age, he was forced to give up his practice of Medicine and stayed at home all day. No one came to see him. No one asked his advice on how to clean a carpet, much less brain surgery. And then what?

He and his wife traveled to many locations and attended musical venues in his retirement. And then what?

He died at an advanced age, surrounded by his family, loved ones and fortified by the Last Rites of the Catholic Church. And then what?