Today while driving from southwest Michigan to Illinois, I paid close attention to the signs: route 94 to the Indiana Toll Road to the Dan Ryan Expressway to Lake Shore Drive to Michigan Avenue to my destination in the Loop.
The closer I got to downtown Chicago, the greater the importance of trusting the road signs. If I used a natural sense of direction instead, I couldn’t have gotten where I wanted to go.
One spot on the route became particularly tricky. The goal was to get from the Dan Ryan (on the west) to Lake Shore Drive (on the east). Though my brain wanted to make a right turn, west to east, the signs said, “Stay left.” The only way to successfully make the transition was to blindly trust the directions.
My reason for the trip was to spend the day with Mary as she endured her third infusion treatment. As it turns out, chemotherapy goes better with a little blind trust, too. She had to surrender to the instructions, even when they made no sense.
For instance, when the hospital staff said, “Doing a blood draw will be a help,” it was only later, after the results, she learned they couldn’t have proceeded with chemo unless the counts had been high enough. And when killer-poison was being dripped into her veins they said, “This will extend your life.” Only blind trust will cause her to believe that.
Our spiritual lives require a bit of blind trust, too. When he says the trials that weaken us will make us stronger, it seems he’s directing us up the wrong ramp. Or when we hear, “The person who loses his life for my sake will find it,” we scratch our heads and say, “Huh?”
Maybe the key to all of these “blind” situations is to look at who or what is being trusted. Have the road signs been put up by way of accurate maps? Has the chemo staff been well trained? Is our God trustworthy?
If all the answers are yes, then blind trust is the way to go. The only way.
“Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39)
Praising and Praying with Mary
- Praise that when fatigue sets in after chemo, I have the freedom to rest.
- Other than nausea and fatigue, praise that I haven’t experienced any of the many other side effects of chemo.
- Pray that the new nausea medicine will work this time.
- Praise for a week off chemo next week; pray that blood counts will rise again.
I cannot fully imagine what Mary is going through. I praise God He is right within her, leading her the right way, and that Mary is humbly following.
Mary, you are in my prayers. Not just you, but your entire family and your precious sister Margaret. You are all affected by your cancer. Seeing you sitting in the chair, in today’s blog, brings back memories when my husband was going through chemo. We also carried a bag with us, books to read, music to listen to, our lunch. His infusions would last all day. God bless.