When You Care Enough To Send The Very Best

Once my family and friends knew what we were going through, the cards started coming. David has always teased that my mom must have stock in the Hallmark company for all the cards we get. We have never been big card givers ourselves and often felt bad that we had not sent cards to loved ones for their birthdays. Now we were learning something new. We had never had such a life altering crisis in our lives. Cards became a vehicle that God used to shower His love through others on us. We looked forward to "mail time". Did you know you can even send more than one card to a person??! People did! They did it to remind me that they were still praying, still caring, still with us in crisis. How precious! I hope I can remember this wonderful expression of love and give it to others. We are never to old to learn!

Our annual Sunday School Father's Day weekend was upon us. My husband and children did all the packing and organizing as I was a bit distracted. We decided to try to have a "normal" Friday evening and Saturday with our class and not tell them till Sunday. We wanted the kids to have a good time and some time to ourselves to think and pray. The word had not spread to this dear group of friends yet and we were thankful. I loved Friday night. Suzanne and Christy, two moms from our class, came to our campsite. They don't know how God used them. They have younger children than most of mine and were talking about problems with children. You know the kind; ones that pop up and you have to deal with it. You are not sure how and sometimes bouncing it off other moms can help with answers but also just bring relief to talk about it. It was so "normal". Normal felt good. I emersed myself in conversation as we discussed and laughed about things. Every once in a while, I'd shudder as I thought how "unnormal" my life had recently become. But mostly, I laughed and listened and had a wonderful time. So wonderful in fact that when I was serving a fruit coctail for dessert, my appetite returned. Not full force, but I realized I was sitting and eating the salad!! Laughter is a good medicine, so is taking your eyes off of self!

We shared our news with our SS teachers first and they thought it was interesting that our topic that morning was on the storms of life taken from Mark 4. It was a "God thing". People shared their storms and our teacher shared mine for us. Our class surrounded me and prayed for us. They have blessed us with prayer, encouragement , cards, food and care. (A week later our teacher's mom in Wisconsin sent me a letter with an encouragement and scripture that confirmed God's direction we felt He had just given to us that particular day.)

A few days after our Bible study on Mark 4, Mrs. Smith called. I have known Mrs. Smith most of my life. Our families grew up together. Her daughter and I had been best friends growing up. God has used Mrs. Smith in my life before in some very special ways. We talked and she shared a Bible study she and my mom had gone to that week. It was on...Mark 4. Maybe I'm a little slow on the uptake, so God gives it to me twice!! It had my attention, so I started reading this portion of Scripture. Did you know in verse 36 that there were other little boats that went out when the disciples set out. They were in the storm too! I had never seen that before. Our attention is drawn in the story to the disciples and this one particular boat. But there were other boats having a crisis too. I thought about my husband, my children, my extended family and friends. This storm was affecting them too! It was good perspective for me. When Jesus said, "Peace, be still", they also received the benefit of His mighty power! God was at work in many more people's lives than just mine--oh to have an eternal perspective on this earthly life.

We decided to go with the masectomy. But how would we know then if God had chosen to heal me? They would not be looking for the tumor. We had prayer again at church with just our pastor and deacons. Then we requested another ultrasound to discover what God had intended to do in this situation. Okay, I told you we'd talk about Tina. Do you have a friend that God has put in your life that is special. Tina is like this. We have known each other for years through homeschooling. We don't attend the same church but we have the same God! Our families just click. David and Randy get along well. Our daughter Jess and their daughter are best friends. Their oldest son works for my husband as an electrician. Tina is like a sister to me. She has been there for us in lots of health crisis'. I have 4 wonderful sisters but I live so far from them that it is not practical for them to be here or me to be there. Tina has known me like a sister. She has seen me looking my worst and rambling on when coming out of surgery. She has just "been there". She came with me for the recheck ultrsound which turned into a mamogram instead. In the waiting room she and I were sharing scriptures and had a Bible opened. An older woman came in for her appointment to be rechecked for some suspicious spots. She came over and started sharing all these wonderful times that God had miraculously healed her mother and then her. Even though she had great healing previously, she was worried about this recheck. Tina and I were grinning. Was God setting something up here? It seemed so strange that this woman would approach us and build such confidence in us as she recalled God's mighty power. But we sensed her concern this time and asked her if we could pray for her. We did and then they called me in. What would you think? I was truly feeling trust at this point. I thought I was and it was confirmed to me as the doctor came in and told me where the titanium marker they had put in during biopsy was in relation to the tumor. It was located right at the edge of the tumor. Yes, the tumor was still there and so was God's wonderful grace. He buffered me. He is my Rock and my Fortress. I find safety and shelter in Him. I felt no sadness, actually I felt no difference. I knew that was grace. I was going to have to go through surgery and whatever was on the other side of that. But I was not moved by it. God had chosen to not "deliver" this time but instead to "take me through". I had peace with God. He is very good. I am my beloved and He is mine. His banner over me is love.

The surgery was scheduled for July 3rd. I was to arrive early at the hospital to have a special dye injected that would "light up" the sentinal node. This is the node that the damaged duct drains to. During surgery they would take the sentinal node and do a biopsy. If that node was clean of cancer, then they would just remove the breast. If it was not clean, more lymph nodes would be taken. They ended up taking 5 lymph nodes but they all came back clear!! How wonderful for my family and friends in the waiting room to hear! The final pathology would take a few more days to confirm this. Praise God!