cancer is cancer and love is of God: the Saturday Gratitude Journal
I have this scar—it’s about five inches long. The place where my skin was broken and the cancer was taken out of me.
She wore a pink shirt and when she got ready to leave the cancer clinic she forgot which side of the building she had parked her car.
And another lady–she walked in. Her face glowed and her head, it was covered in a yellow and blue scarf with the tiniest of flowers weaved into the colors.
Cancer does these things.
Cancer is cancer and love is of God.
He came into the house and turned around quickly, back out to his truck. I forgot something my son-in-law said. And when he came back into the house he handed me this pink ribbon pin. ‘I got this for you’. And I couldn’t get my voice to speak as it wrestled with my overwhelmed smile.
A Mama this week–her message read, my family is praying for you. Her message went on to say–‘even though the treatments are different, please know I am here to talk anytime you need to talk.’ And I broke. You see, this Mama, she’s in her own battle with cancer. Her young son, in the midst of chemotherapy. And he is a warrior, a fighter, and he makes no bones about it nor does his Mama or Daddy or his family–they all love Jesus and their faith and hope is steadfast in Him.
And I think about her, thinking of others in the midst of her own storm and I am drowning in this undeserved grace.
Cancer is cancer and love is of God.
The mail comes and more than once comes this love. A beautiful shirt handmade by a friend I don’t see very often but I know she’s always there–anytime–day or night if I need her. And I will do the same for her.
And so many other heart gifts, words, cards, reminders of ‘I’m praying for you’, ‘We are thinking of you’
We take our seats before worship songs begin and one of our Deacons is carrying this large Ziploc bag–filled with pink ribbons with pink pins. And he hands me the pin and tells me one of the ladies in our church fixed the ribbons and he was giving them out to everyone. And I can’t imagine the time she spent making these gifts. I look up and see pink ribbons adorning lapels and dresses and shirts and jackets and coats. And in my heart there’s this pouring out of what seems to be like the breaking of the alabaster jar where heaven breaks and blessings pour down.
Cancer is cancer and love is of God.
This week my aunt was rushed to the hospital on Monday fears she had had a stroke. It was later determined she had a large mass on her brain. God answered our prayers as the surgery on Thursday was successful, the mass was removed and my aunt is doing very well. Our family is waiting on the test results and we covet your continued prayers.
It’s true. Cancer doesn’t treat us all the same. Our treatments and diagnosis may be different. But there is this promise in the lifting of prayers in faith-believing. And the love we give to each other matters. Love matters.
And cancer is cancer and love is of God.
And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Cornithians 12:9
Comments