Ok, so I lied. I didn't get back to the blog as quickly as I meant to. I've heard people say, "Life got in the way." And that's a true statement. In my case, quilting got in the way, alongside a lot of other things.
But to the task at hand. I went to the breast cancer support group and found out it wasn't just for breast cancer survivors. There were two women there that are leukemia survivors. We all got to tell our story. We all went through different experiences. We all suffered pain and sickness and heartache and disappointment. But, Praise God, we all are survivors.
And I believe that's why we go through hard times, bad times, painful times - to Praise God. To bring Glory to God. To be thankful in all things. I Thessalonians 5:16-18: "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Do you know how hard that is to do? It's easy to give thanks and be thankful when things are going great. But when you're told you have a disease that could take your life, it's mighty hard to say, "Thank you, Lord! That's just what I wanted!" When you're going through painful tests and surgeries it's mighty hard to say, "Thank you, Lord! That's just what I wanted." When you're lying in your chair, so sick from chemotherapy meds they put in your body to kill the cancer and you can't hold your head up or get up to get in the shower, it's mighty hard to say, "Thank you, Lord. That's just what I wanted." Be joyful? Not happening. Pray continually? Maybe, but not in a thankful attitude. More like, "Please, Lord, just let me live through this one more day. Please, Lord, just let me find something I can eat. Please, Lord, let me be able to get up from this chair and move around." And then the one question people say you're not supposed to ask, "Please, Lord. Why me?" Well, why not ask Him that?! He knows you're thinking it anyway. He knows all things about you. He knows what's in your heart. He knows what your future is. He knows the plans he has for you. He knows He plans to give you hope and a future. (You can find that promise in Jeremiah 29:11) So let's just get honest with God and talk to him like the Father he is to us.
We may not ever know the "why" of anything that happens to us on this earth. But we will know someday. Our job today is to Praise God, to bring him Glory, to thank Him, to tell others about Him.
Back to the support group - I will be attending again next month. I look forward to meeting some more new friends and sharing the bad times, and good times of cancer and hearing the stories of other survivors. And most of all, I look forward to having the opportunity to tell others what God has done for me.
