Last Saturday Mary and I shared an afternoon of meaningful conversation while sipping warm spiced tea on a blustery cold day. “Let’s sit in the sun,” she said, appreciating the extra warmth on the couch cushions.

Though Mary’s cancer and the threat it imposes is the #1 topic on everyone’s mind, it’s difficult to know how to best talk about it, or if we should bring it up at all. From her point of view, she doesn’t want to cause others to weep over the situation, and the rest of us don’t want to add to her burden by dwelling on it.

But on Saturday, the conversation of two sisters flowed in the usual way, and we found ourselves talking through some of the really tough stuff. Mary wondered what she ought to be doing during these days of feeling fine and having good energy. Though she’s made up her mind to live each day to the fullest, what does that look like, hour to hour, day to day?

As we chatted about her options, her conclusion was that she just wanted to do the “normal” things she’s always done: spend time with the Lord; care for her home, family, and friends; continue in her church ministries.

And that’s the thing about a life submitted to God. When time threatens to grow short, no additions, corrections, or changes need to be made. There’s no scrambling to get things right.  “Continuing as usual” is the high-road thing to do. Mary can simply keep doing what she’s been doing all along, and God will continue to bless her and also those she touches.

Oswald Chambers says, “A saint is never consciously a saint; a saint is consciously dependent on God.”

Mary doesn’t have to make big changes, because her M.O. has never been to get brownie points with the Lord by doing good deeds. She hasn’t been keeping score by consciously tallying up which “righteous acts” will please God most.

Instead she has spent decades studying the Bible to figure out what obedience looks like and then putting that into practice.  Whether she’s running a meeting from behind a podium or sitting on the ground comforting an ailing animal, it’s all the same to her. Obedience to God’s assignments releases his power into Mary’s life and also the lives of those around her.

The Holy Spirit living within a person becomes visible in the way that person spends her time. Mary has never worried about whether or not she’s being “used” by God but simply loves him with her whole heart, and day-to-day goes about loving others more than herself.

“Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)

Praising and Praying with Mary

Tonight Bervin is both my praise (he’s a rock!) and my prayer request (that he wouldn’t be consumed with my cancer to the exclusion of other activities). I thank God for him and love his heart through these many months. Pray for strength to match whatever is ahead.