Now what?

Have you ever been asked "What do we do now?" or simply "What now?" These words could apply to most anything. There are times I sit down to write and wonder "What do I write this week?" Most of the time I have an idea or two and a start. Then there are times when I have an idea but not sure how to write the article, like this week. At some point I'll write an article on "Am I My Brother's Keeper" but not this week. I need to let that perk in my brain a little longer. But it did bring up an important question. "What now?"

Most mornings I get up a little earlier than Marge, so I always have my coffee. When Marge gets up, she usually asks me if I'm ready for breakfast. Sometimes I am, and then there are times I'm not in a hurry. But after a bit, she usually asks me what I want for breakfast. In the spring when we are getting ripe tomatoes, I know right off what I want. I want a couple ripe red or yellow or orange tomatoes along with two or three pieces of toast smothered in Miracle Whip. A pile of bacon goes good with the tomatoes and even an egg or two. Oh, and coffee. I know what I want. But now that I've eaten tomatoes pretty much every morning since the end of May, Marge will ask "What sounds good?" My immediate response is coffee but then "I don't know!"

Marge and I have gardened pretty much from the time we were born, so we've done it a time or two. We even gardened when we lived in Bartlesville and Wilmore. But there has come a time when I wonder "What now?" We grow potatoes pretty much like we've grown them close to 70 years. We do it a little different but basically the same. But as we've aged, we can't weed and hoe like we used to so "Now what?"

I've been perking the idea of growing potatoes in a different way in my mind for several years. I wonder what would happen if we'd get the soil ready like normal and then do a "Let's try this!" This time let's mark the row, lay down the dripper line and them lay down the 3-foot-wide plastic. Now we make a hole through the plastic every 16 inches or so and plant a potato set in the soil. As the potato sprouts and grows I think it will naturally find the hole and poke its way into the sunlight. I think it will work. It's time to try a different approach. We aren't throwing the baby out with the dishwater but just changing the water. We went from "now what" to "let's do this."

We have a number of friends who have gone through and are going through some times of great distress. Several are facing a future knowing they have cancer. Some have to make a choice in regard to going into a nursing home. Some are facing the consequences of accidents and injuries. It's times like these when we simply say "Now what?" What do we do now? Where do we go? It's like the reins that you use to guide your horse broke. Now what?

I for one don't have the answer. Experts will give you an answer so listen to them but the choice is yours. Some of them if they were honest are probably wondering "now what." My thoughts are as follows: 1. Sit down with a couple three close friends or couples and see what they think. 2. Ask them to pray for you and for an answer. 3. Listen to the doctor and see what he recommends. 4. Probably need a second opinion. 5. Listen to that voice inside you and listen to your heart. When you are at peace with your decision, then breathe a sigh of relief. Don't look back! In faith know that you and God have got this.