I have a dear friend who is basically buying time to keep living. Stage 4 cancer isn’t pretty, and I cannot imagine what pain they must feel physically and emotionally. I lost my father to colon cancer years ago. He was given 3 months once he was diagnosed, and he passed away exactly 3 months later. My friend told me recently she was tired of the fight. She said she’s tired of the pain. She laments that she’s leaving behind her family.
I frankly couldn’t tell her to keep fighting. I know that sounds inexcusible, but I cannot make someone who no longer wants to fight to keep doing so. What I did tell her was that God loves her, without judgment or strings attached. I told her God is walking with her in her journey, as many of our friends are, and He is holding her hands, soul and body in prayer and comfort. She couldn’t see what the purpose of this disease could be, but I just said we always have to have faith. Faith in Him and in ourselves is paramount. Without Him, we have no hope. Life becomes just a monotonous journey with no purpose. Each hurdle that comes our way is just part of life. Our response to these hurdles makes our life colorful and full of purpose.
Everything we do has purpose, if we try to find God in each step of the way. Regardless of the banality of your activity – gardening, driving to work, calling on the phone – there is always a purpose tp it. To add faith in each step – gardening to share the fruits of your labor, driving to work to make money for your family/self, calling someone just to check in on them – makes our lives meaningful and purposeful. With my friend and her fight against cancer, it calls for her family to have faith in God, to make each moment with her so momentous. To give up ourselves to the whatever the fate may be is not resignation; rather, it is faith and acceptance that God will make things right. God will ease her pain. God will ease her family’s pain. God will cover their wounds with love and comfort. I believe in all this, because it has happened to me and my family.
It sounds like a leap to suggest my friend and her family will react the same as we did. I don’t purport to know what their reactions or feelings may be. I do know that God is merciful and kind. God loves us unconditionally. Our bodies are not perfect, but in His almighty mercy, he elevates us with his love. Eventually we join Him in glory in heaven where we can finally feel his eternal grace, where we will no longer be in pain. Only love and peace will exist.
This may sound incongruous to what my friend is going through or what we have gone through. I just know that in believing in Him and believing in the fact that we will all be together again with Him and our loved ones again keeps me from being despondent. After losing Allie, I no longer cared about the little things in life or how my body aches and pains. I take care of what God has given me. When there is something of which I have no control, I leave it up to Him. I offer Him my soul and prayers to give me comfort and strength. I pray and hope my friend will continue to find Him next to her at all times, especially when her body and mind are at their weakest. I pray that we take time each day to seek Him for comfort and peace.
ask me, tell me... I am listening 