I have a new ritual thanks to our oldest daughter. She gave me a small devotional book for Christmas that fits perfectly in the pocket of my Bible case. Each daily page contains a short message about living in peace and without fear. Meaningful words. I can read it in a couple of minutes and it’s accompanied by two or three Bible verses to look up. I have always wanted to adopt the practice of spending my first waking minutes with God’s word and this was exactly what I needed, the impetus to begin. Small. Brief. Inspirational. A baby step in the right direction. Sort of a spiritual power breakfast.
After a few weeks, I added a little more time working on the readings for my current Bible Study by Beth Moore on the gifts of the spirit called Living Beyond Ourselves. When I do this, I can stay up to date on the study with no cramming and I enjoy much deeper comprehension. I began feeling exceptionally in tune with God through this practice. He is so good.
Now I see it has been an intense training program, part of a God-given preparation process for an unexpected plot twist. The call saying, “Mom, it’s cancer.”
Nothing can prepare you for those words except the supernatural sense of trust and peace that comes from being in tune with the Holy Spirit moving in our life. Instantly I knew God would use this to unleash a wave of blessings beyond what we can comprehend in our humanness.
Almost immediately, Christian friends began heaping prayers and kind gestures on us. A huge, heartfelt outpouring of loving friendship born from a common bond of faith showered us with strength. It is almost impossible to describe the power of their loving support. Women friends in particular excel at this open and unselfish sharing and we are in awe of their generosity. Our daughter’s friends have been absolutely amazing. They know the depth of her faith.
We are just beginning this journey, this process of healing. As I write this we are not sure yet of the course of treatment. The answers will come within the next few days. This we do know, though, that through the boundless love of God we will be supported by a small army of prayer sisters and brothers to give us the peace and grace we need to conquer our fears. Knowing we never walk alone will allow us all to step confidently into the future.