Right now I stand at a threshold, waiting to cross into unknown places
and experiences as I look ahead toward the transplant in Omaha. It’s impossible
to prepare for this. So much is out of my control and soon, I will be
relinquishing even more control. It’s
not an easy place to be.
Yet with the loss of control and the many challenges these past five
months, the cancer has not yet entirely consumed my body, my thoughts, my
emotions or my spirit. It’s staying back
for now and I attribute this to faithful prayers, quality healthcare and caring
support from family and friends. I also attribute
it to Grace.
At every challenge faced, I can honestly and DEFINITELY say that God has
provided and continues to provide the Grace I need when I need it. I find it
speaking into the pain, the fears, the small victories, unexpected blessings and
the enormous unknowns. On good days, Grace is there whispering the
Father’s love. And on bad days it’s there, shouting the Father’s love!
I’m learning to listen to it. And to me personally, Grace continues to
speak into each and every situation I encounter:
In the mornings, Grace says,
“Get up and live your life! Even if you don’t feel like it, TRY. And if
you can’t get up, that’s ok – live your life anyway, in some way - even if it’s from
your bed. Amy Carmichael was and still is a blessing to many people, and she
ministered in part, from her sick bed!” Yet
on most days, my feet do find the floor and soon after I’m feeding the dog, and
then making coffee in kitchen. I like to have a little coffee with some Grace
every morning!
Throughout the day, Grace says,
“Don’t forget there are many people hurting much worse than you - and
this life, this struggle, is NOT about you. Look for the hurting and reach out
with the Father’s love. That’s what I created you for.”
In the darkness, Grace says,
“Don’t forget to hope. And most of all, don’t forget WHO to hope in.
And this is not the kind of hope that puts on a Pollyanna face in hard trials
and pretends not to struggle. This kind of hope looks at suffering right in its
miserable, ugly and at times evil face and chooses to see what is still good
and WHO is still good. Practice your hope at all times.”
In the times of blessing, Grace says,
“Take time to be in the moment - embrace it, treasure it, enjoy it. It
is a gift and if you do these things, you will remember it when you need to
remember it. Cherish the moments, but above all, cherish the people in the
moments and God who provides both the people and the moments.”
In the evening, Grace says,
“Breathe . . . be still and let yourself be weary and rest. Yes, rest
your body, but rest your spirit most of all. You don’t have to fight every
moment, all day, every day. Pursue instead the One who created rest, and in Him
you will find tender healing, renewed strength and the greatest rest.”
When I am overwhelmed, Grace says,
“There is a lot you can’t control. You can’t fix this. You can’t change
it. There is a lot you don’t know and there is a lot you can’t even imagine. You can’t prepare for what’s coming and you
can’t prevent it.
But instead, you’ve been called to trust HIM with the knowing, HIM with
the planning, HIM with the fixing, HIM with everything. Oh yeah, and you also
need HIM for the ability to TRUST HIM. HE does it all, everything. That’s it.
And don’t try to wrap your brain around any of it, because you can’t do that
either!
Just remember that His love for you, took His Son to the cross – to die!
You can trust HIM.”
Grace says a lot, if I just learn to listen.
So moving forward, I continue to watch, listen and pray for Grace. The
Father knows best how desperately I need His Grace. And not just to walk
through the journey of cancer, but even more, to live in a way that is God-
honoring and courageous so that others can experience His grace.
Because it is in this way, Grace says the most of all.