Monday, February 11, 2013

Timing.

Before I go on I must give a huge thanks to my sweet friend, graphic designer and Seattleite, Lonnie King! She contacted me and offered to take my blog under her wing and spruce it up! It's much cooler thanks to her. :)

Well, it has been an exciting three trips of successful yet agonizing, nose burning treatments and it's safe to say that chemo still sucks just as I had said it before. However, the treatment is working as well as God healing me!
I went to church a few Sunday's ago, it felt good being back home worshiping along side of my husband. There wasn't a powerful message on healing or hope that drew me to the altar that day, [in fact the message was on Life  Groups and getting plugged in... how it changes your life to have community. Boy does it, my small group of ladies who started out as mere acquaintances are now friends that I can undoubtedly cry and laugh with].
A N Y W A Y, it was a nudge, a burning sensation in my stomach that was telling me to get prayer at the end of service.
I noticed a couple at the far end, I was glad it was them. I didn't know them personally but I knew they could pray bold prayers and believe with me for healing. After all they do lead our prayer ministry at Creekwood. I made my way down to Sarah and Jeff and tearfully asked them to pray that the tumor would shrink by the time I saw the doctor that week. I walked away feeling peaceful that God heard our prayers and was going to deliver. And He did...
On January 31, I went to experience a "fun" day of treatment with my Mom. Before hand we saw the doctor who did a basic exam and measured the tumor to see if it had shrunk any. I told him I thought it felt smaller... his eyes were wide and he nodded and said, "Yes.. I believe it has." My mom was in the corner with both hands raised (almost doing a fist pump motion) and mouthed, "YES, thank you JESUS!" I'm surprised she didn't get up and dance. He was happy to say it had shrunk a full 1.5 cm. I'll take it! With just two treatments he seemed very surprised by this. I wasn't at all, I knew that God had His hand on me that morning we prayed. 
Some are going to read this and say, it's the medicine that shrunk that tumor... and yes, the medicine is working. But thank God for the start of His divine healing and for giving my doctors and nurses the knowledge for the perfect 'cocktail' for it to work aggressively fast... but most importantly the hope I have in the Lord. He is the ultimate healer! His timing is perfectly sweet.

People have asked me how can you be so hopeful? How are you turning this bad into good? A friend had given me a new devotional, below is something that really spoke to me... Love this!
"He will shield you from suffering or He will give you His unwavering strength that you may bear it. Be at peace, then, and set aside all anxious thoughts and worries."  Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman
I have been praying almost exactly that every time I go into chemo... "God if I must go through this please take the side effects away completely or at least give me your strength that I can push through..."

I can rest in the fact that He is always with me, that's how I make it.

 "... Surely I am always with you." Matthew 28:20