New York Style Pizza, A Wedding and Two Kidney Stones

By Del Duduit

I don’t know how I shoved life into the 31 days of May.

The past month was a blur.

It held all kinds of events, emotions, and circumstances, and it wore me out. But all is good.

Let’s recap:

The first weekend in May, Angie and I went to Michigan. She attended an editing conference while I visited and stayed with my literary agent, Cyle Young. He took me to his stomping grounds where I had some of the finest coffee ever at Roos Roast. That is also where I signed a three-book contract with New Hope Publishers for an exciting series.

God is good!

When we arrived home, we jumped right into the Spring Jubilee where Angie played piano for a five-night camp meeting, while I had to make changes to my manuscript each night to make a deadline. The meeting finished up on May 18, and the next evening, we bolted to Xenia, Ohio where we attended the Night of Champions sponsored by Athletes in Action.

I was able to interview several athletes, one of which I blogged about last week.

The next day on Mother’s Day, I zipped to Indianapolis (four hours away) for a couple of days to interview some racers at the Indy 500. I caught up with Zach Veach, who I coached in fourth-grade basketball, and he now drives the No. 26 car for Andretti AutoSport.

I had appointments to meet with Helio Castroneves and Al Unser Jr. while at the Brickyard on Sunday and Monday.

But on Sunday evening, I ended up in an Emergency Room a few miles from my hotel with my first kidney stone. That was a blast. I passed it about 2 a.m. By then, Angie was on her way to Indianapolis with my son, Gabe, who ironically was going through town the next day. I felt better and got her a pass and showed her around the Speedway. She caught up with Zach and met some of my other friends, and I completed my interviews!

God is good!

On Tuesday, I went to my doctor in Portsmouth because I felt another stone working its way through. On Wednesday morning, you may have heard me scream in pain as it passed. Did I mention Angie was out of town on business for three days that week?

God is good!

We made it to the weekend just in time for Gabe’s wedding rehearsal Friday night. The next day, Angie and I welcomed our second daughter-in-law along with an adorable step-granddaughter. I love my family.

God is good!

I left about midnight and drove back to Indianapolis, arriving at the Speedway at 4 a.m. to watch the Greatest Spectacle in Racing at noon. What a thrill! Zach finished 23rd in the race. He will win this one day, and I hope I’m there.

God is good!

Memorial Day came, and Angie and I headed to Columbus for an early flight to New York City to attend Book Expo America with Cyle, his wife Patty, and our friends Michelle Medlock Adams, Ashley Jones and Bethany Morehead.

We had so much fun and crammed everything there is to do in the Big Apple in a few days. We took a carriage ride through Central Park and enjoyed Anastasia on Broadway. We ate at the first pizza joint in Little Italy and paid our respects at the 9/11 Memorial. We took a late-night adventure to the Brooklyn Bridge via the subway and ate at the world-famous Katz’s Deli. Oh yeah, we also got a lot of work done and had some fantastic meetings. You will read about them soon.

God is good!

Sound like chaos? You could say that.

But we would not have it any other way. You have to adapt and live life to the fullest.

Can we live in chaos? Of course.

Jesus’ disciples asked him once about turbulent times. In his response, he spoke of global chaos:

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines, and pestilences and earthquakes in diverse places.” MATTHEW 24: 6-7 KJV

Might I add a volcano in Hawaii and kidney stones to the fray?

The point is, God is in control and He is good.

Here are some tips to keep the Lord in the center of your life amidst hectic times:

• Know He cares about your situation: “And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin.” MATTHEW 6: 28
• Know you can be satisfied:  “Not that I speak in respect of want; for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” PHILIPPIANS 4: 11
• Know He will take care of you: “Behold, the fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap nor gather into the barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” MATTHEW 6: 26
• Know your circumstances will bring Him glory: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy path.” PROVERBS 3: 5-6

I had a grand time in May, minus the trips to the hospitals and a combined 14.5 hours of sleep in the month.

Follow me on Twitter here.

Would I do it again? Absolutely — but without the kidney stones.

Is God good? All the time!

No matter what you go through, whether it’s watching a kid you coached in elementary school zip by you at 220 MPH or smile as you get a new member of the family, stroll through Central Park or yell in pain in the ER, God is good.

Enjoy life. Embrace the good times and hold steady in the bad.

Let me know what you have experienced lately and how it brought you closer to the Lord. If you are far away, take this moment to search Him out. You’ll find him on Broadway, at a famous race track in the Midwest or in a hospital room. He’s always there and always good.

Del Duduit is an award-winning writer and author who lives in Lucasville, Ohio with his wife, Angie. They attend Rubyville Community Church. Follow his blog at delduduit.com/blog and his Twitter @delduduit. He is represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary Agency.

His first book — BUCKEYE BELIEVER – 40 Days of Devotions for The Ohio State Faithful –can be purchased on Amazon here.