Dear “Simple Truth” readers,

I thank you for the ministry God gave me though you for three years and six months. The time, prayer and effort I gave in writing the weekly column, “Simple Truth,” was very rewarding to me, and many readers made me know that the column was often meaningful to them.

There is no way that I can resume this ministry. My wife’s health issues have become such that my care for her has become my primary and full-time ministry.

On Aug. 19, Louise had major back surgery, lumbar decompression laminectomy. The purpose was to restore strength to her weak, tired legs caused by spinal stenosis. But within two weeks a hematoma had developed causing injury to her spinal chord resulting in major paralysis from her waist down. A second emergency surgery to remove the hematoma did not improve her condition.

She has spent the past seven weeks in a hospital, rehab hospital and a rehab facility with at least two weeks yet to go. She has experienced very little improvement, but I believe she will be restored in time to a quality level of life and service.

My responsibility, commitment and joy will involve being her primary caregiver. Our two loving children live in Memphis and Kansas City, so we have no family near. But our eternal family, our West End Baptist Church, is near. They and our brothers and sisters from other churches plus many friends have truly ministered to us in practical ways and have upheld us in prayer.

This is being the deepest valley of our 62 years of marriage, but I want it to be God’s greatest work in us and then through us. If you are impressed to pray for us, then our prayer requests are for courage, endurance, inner strength and physical strength, faith, submission and obedience. May some of God’s glory be displayed in us.

Sincere love,

Charles M. Christmas