"It's Cancer"...I will never forget the day that I heard these words shared with me from my doctor during the summer of 1994. My husband had just been transferred to East Texas and he was already working out there during the week and coming home on weekends until we could get moved. We lived in Plano, Texas at the time, and I was not feeling like myself so I went to get a check-up before we entered the moving process of packing boxes and all that goes into relocating to a new city. Our house in Plano sold in just a few days on the market and we were down to our last couple of weeks before we were to move.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB9t2p6ii6k&feature=related (thank you for the many ways that you are "The Body of Christ"!)
Our dear church family in Plano, Texas (Meadows Baptist Church) had a very very special "send-off" prayer service for our family that included a time at the alter when our pastor and church family prayed for us as we were about to be "sent" by The Lord as "missionaries" to East Texas. (They also presented us with a portrait of "The Lord is Our Shepherd" that to this day hangs over our fireplace.-that God uses to remind us that He is always taking care of us, His Sheep!) During that special church service prayer time at the alter I vividly remember hearing someone whisper a prayer into my ear that God would lead the church to us that He wanted us to serve in in East Texas instead of us having to search for a church (they knew that was a concern we had, finding the exact church that The Lord had for us for the next season of our lives), our home was already sold and we only had a few days to finish packing and move out so that the new owners could move in...BUT, the very next day, Monday, of the week that we were to pack up the moving trucks and move, my doctor called me with the results of the tests that he had run when I went to see him for that check-up...(a call that I didn't expect as I thought that I was just run-down from the upcoming preparation for our move). When my doctor shared with me that I had cancer and that I needed emergency surgery right away, God's Peace and Provision unfolded through the Power of Prayer like I have never experienced before!! Here is a time-line listing of the "unfolding grace of God" that I experience through our church family (praying friends) sharing their gifts of service in action!!!
- Praying friends took over all of my daily responsibilities (cooking, cleaning, etc.)
- Praying friends took care of our 3 small children as I went into the hospital
- Praying friends sat with me, prayed with me, read to me, encouraged me
- Praying friends mobilized and actually packed everything up, loaded the moving truck, came to our new home in East Texas, contacted a new praying friend in East Texas to meet her at my new home without ever even meeting her before, unloaded the moving truck, unpacked all of our boxes, set-up our new home, set-up our children's rooms that even included lots of decorating so that they could have their toys to play with right away (brings tears to my eyes as I share these precious memories with you), they did everything they could do., through God's loving gifts of service & grace to minister to our every need, it was overwhelming!! You see, I was in the hospital while all of this was taking place-I did not even know that God was doing all of this through my church family!
- Praying friends came with me to East Texas when I was strong enough to travel and stayed with me, cared for our family & God raised up a new church family to take over where they had left off...what Glory God received!!!
- So many more details I could share, but for the Grace of God here I am today as a testimony of His unfolding grace shared through His People!! Cancer or any crisis is a strategic opportunity to share your giftedness given by God with others! The person you may be sharing your acts of service with may already be a believer, but it is important to remember that there are people around watching and seeing the Body of Christ mobilized by His Gifted Love!! You may be the only "bible" someone else sees lived out through actions!! Matthew 22:37-39
I share this testimony with you today for a very special prayer request that I have permission to share with you all... I ask you to pray for one of my praying friends here in our dear church home in East Texas (Macedonia Baptist Church), Roxanne. Roxanne has just heard the words that I have entitled today's Blog..."It's Cancer"... thank you for praying for my praying friend, Roxanne, as the Lord ministers to her through surgery, chemo & radiation beginning next week!
As my friend Roxanne begins to experience the indescribable love, peace, and unfolding grace of God, I sent her the picture of the biggest flower (see picture above) that I have in my praying friends flower garden as we begin to pray & mobilize, as The Lord leads, ministry to unfold upon her & her families life...this flower garden is a small reminder to me of God's unfolding Grace & Care from many praying friends that God blessed my life with!! When something significant happens in my life, I add a flower or plant to this garden as a reminder of how Faithful God Is because He Makes All Things New Just Like A Flower In A Prayer Garden as we Bloom Where He Has Planted Us!
Isaiah 58:11 "The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."!!
