Beer Ministry

I have a wonderful friend who's saved my tushie many a time by allowing The Bear to hang out in her daycare here and there. Well, Wonderful Friend's husband was diagnosed last Christmas day with ALL -- a form of leukemia common and pretty curable in children, but one tough bugger in adults. W.F.'s hubby is currently trying to gain strength to undergo a bone-marrow transplant. The good news? They found two perfect (non family) matches. The bad news? It's still only a 50/50 chance of survival.

Wonderful Friend has four children -- 19 down to 10. And a great church that's been a huge help. And lots of connections in the art community in our area who have also been helping. But she had to shut down the day care to take care of her hubby and protect him from infections. Hubby was in graphic design and watched, over the past five years or so, his business melt away to almost nothing. They were used to, and pretty good at, living on nearly nothing. This illness has hit them in a way that's hard to imagine or even comprehend. They're managing day-by-day and minute-by-minute.

So what do I do to make it better? I can't cure his ALL. I can't even really help all that much. But what I can do is take this conservative Christian woman out to the bar for beer. And chat. And food. And time AWAY. We were laughing the other day about not knowing where the Bible mentions Beer Ministry. I believe Beer Ministry is inferred. Falls under the category of Everything Under the Sun Can Be Found In The Bible, whether it specifically says it or not.

So? For Jesus and the love of my neighbor, (REALLY!) I'm taking Wonderful Friend to the bar tonight. Buying her three or four Black and Tans. Listening to some great music. And hopefully giving her the ability to cope a little bit longer with what life has dished out.