Cancer is not new to our family. My wife is a breast cancer survivor, as is
her sister, who has been battling stage four cancer for the past eight years. Her
cancer is spreading and she is about to start chemo again. My father died of multiple myeloma, cancer of
the bone marrow, when he was 53. He
bestowed on me a life-long memory of courage, faith and grace. I took him to visit his friends the week
before he died. He was too week to
remain standing. He greeted each with a
cheerful smile and his natural good humor.
But I could see the sadness written in their faces when they witnessed
the seriousness of his condition.
My daughter-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer four
years ago while our grandchildren were still at home. Life becomes precious when we are faced with
our mortality and the mortality of those we love. Knowing that thousands are
traveling a similar journey, I wanted to share a couple of her journal entries.
She wrote, “Today was a great day. I woke up with no pain and I was able to
spend the day with my kids. My husband
was able to go to work. I ate more food
with no sickness than I’ve had in over a week.
I had enough energy to attend a hilarious community play with the
beautiful high school drama/English students and laughed until my chest
hurt. I stayed up late talking with my
best friend about how blessed we are and how God answers prayers in ways we
don’t even realize. My children laughed
and teased each other in ways that made us feel normal. And I still have my hair. Today was a great day!”
A few days later she wrote, “As I mourn the loss of my hair,
an outward symbol of my health and femininity, I am reminded of my true
identity in Christ.” Psalm 139:13-15 “Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me
in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously
made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you
know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was
sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the
stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared
before I’d even lived one day.”
I am proud of my daughter-in-law and grateful that her
cancer is in remission. I am grateful to be surrounded by men and women who
inspire me. Every day in thousands of
homes mothers and fathers, sons and daughters fight quiet and little-known
battles of life and love.
Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about
your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at
the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet
your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any
one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[? …
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow.“ (Matthew 6:25-34)
Thank you for this timely reflection. Your words always bless me, and I am sharing with family.
ReplyDeleteWe just lost a dear friend ,46 years old to cancer.