Category Archives: God’s plans for us

Hoping for Happiness

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???????????????????????????????Every young girl dreams of one day doing and wearing everything they see adult women doing and wearing in front of them. The other day I came around the corner and found Emerald happily fingering my stash of bracelets and broaches. She knew just what to do with each item, having watched the rest of us.

When Emerald gets a bit older, her biggest fashion fantasy will be to one day choose a wedding gown and be a bride. It’s the grandest of mysteries to a young girl, tantamount to becoming a princess. The more elaborate the gown, the greater the aspiration.

Surrounded by childrenAt every wedding celebration the bride will eventually end up encircled by young girls wanting to touch her dress, peek through her veil, and receive her blessing. They aren’t that interested in the groom, simply because his outfit can’t possibly compare.

Of course as time passes, a little girl grows up and becomes intensely interested in one specific groom, someone she can walk down the aisle to meet while wearing her fairy-tale finery adorned with pearls, or sparkles, or lace.

IMG_3880Today Mary and her daughter Stina had the delight of turning away from cancer concerns and moving into the magical world of shopping for a wedding gown. Stina has something very specific in mind, and she didn’t find it today, but continuing the hunt is half the fun. (See sample try-on at right.) The shopping trip held special meaning for Mary, who fully intends to be present on that important day some months down the road. Several weeks ago, she wasn’t so sure, but today, hope is alive and strong.

Scripture uses a bridal metaphor repeatedly:

  • the church as a bride readying herself for her groom, Jesus Christ;
  • the covering of salvation paralleling beautiful bridal clothes;
  • God rejoicing over us as a bridegroom does over his bride;
  • the New Heaven prepared for us as a bride prepares to meet her groom;
  • a bride receiving her groom’s perfect love, mirroring how Christ loves us;
  • the feasting at a bridal banquet in the New Heaven.

Earthly marriage is meant to be a mini-version of the relationship Jesus wants to have with believers, a microcosm of successful unconditional love. Every bride and groom hope for that kind of bond, and Stina and Evan are no exception. Because God is the Originator of marriage and is himself love personified, their best bet will be to use him as their marriage consultant all the way along. If they do, he’ll see to it that their hope for a happy union will not be disappointed.

Meanwhile, Stina and the women closest to her will continue on a happy hunt for the perfect wedding gown.

“I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like…. a bride with her jewels.” (Isaiah 61:10)

Praising and Praying with Mary

  1. Praise for God providing periods of rest and joy between times of stress and physical challenge
  2. Praise for 3 good Chicago hospital choices
  3. Pray for continued discernment on choosing which one
  4. Praise for today… another good day!

Eager Expectations

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???????????????????????????????Last week I took 18 month old Emerald to the beach, and though she’d been there last year as a baby, this time everything was new again. She experimented with different size shovels, enjoyed the toys we’d brought, and worked hard to stay upright on a steep dune. Best of all, though, was touching the sand.

She spent at least 15 minutes picking up fistfuls and rubbing it between her fingers, feeling its texture, watching it fall. Every so often she’d squeal, bubbling over with joy over this new experience.

This morning while reading from Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest, God showed me how Emerald’s behavior at the beach paralleled what is supposed to be our experience as Christians. When she stands up in her crib each morning, Emerald has no idea what her day will bring, and it doesn’t bother her in the least. She has no expectations and approaches each day with eagerness.

Chambers wrote, “We do not know what each day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness; it should be rather an expression of breathless expectation.”

???????????????????????????????His point? No matter what uncertainties we feel, we can be certain of God. “He packs our life with surprises,” Chambers said. And this is where Emerald comes in. He referred to Matthew 18:3 (“Except you… become as little children”) when he wrote, “Spiritual life is the life of a child. We are not uncertain of God but uncertain of what he is going to do next.” Emerald isn’t uncertain of Birgitta and her capable leadership, protection, and love. She just has no idea what it will look like on any given day.

We adults, however, often find that kind of certainty-in-God difficult to cultivate. It’s much easier to “sigh with sadness” when we can’t at least partially predict the future. This is the frustration Mary was experiencing when she couldn’t decide for or against chemotherapy. And it’s similar now as she approaches treatment. Will the side- effects be debilitating? Will I be able to participate in regular life? Will I lose my hair? Will the chemo kill the cancer? Will it add years to my life?

It seems incongruous to label cancer or chemotherapy “a life-surprise” since a surprise is usually good. But that’s how God wants us to see them.

???????????????????????????????If we’ve entrusted our lives to his care the way Emerald entrusts herself to Birgitta, we don’t need to know the specifics of what’s ahead.

As Chambers wrote, “When we are rightly related to God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy.”

Joyful uncertainty. Sounds like an oxymoron, but the Lord wants us to joyfully believe the certain things about him, and just let the rest go.

“The plans I have for you,” says the Lord “are plans for good and not for disaster.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Praising and Praying with Mary

  1. Praise for a weight gain of 5 pounds!
  2. Pray for the decision about chemo location, which will probably be made on Wednesday
  3. Praise for good sleep at night

What’s to do?

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When a family member learns she/he has cancer, those who love her are willing to do almost anything to help. But short of encouraging words and prayer, there’s not much to actually do.

That’s why something like a 5K run/walk to benefit cancer research feels good. It’s something we can do.

A bunch of Mary’s family and friends showed up at Chicago’s lakefront on Saturday, despite icy winds and temperatures in the low 40’s for this year’s pancreatic cancer walk/run.

The walk-runThousands of other participants beat us there, a mob of cheerful people among whom were 249 teams running/walking for someone they loved who’d been touched by pancreatic cancer. Many team names had their loved one in them: Robyn’s Cancer Kickin’ Crew, or Rich’s Rebels Against Pancan, or Mark’s Miracle Walkers.

Other team names were mysterious and intriguing: Land of the Kings, Peanut Heads, Polar Express.  Some were more obvious: HugSomeoneYouLoveToday, and WeLoveYouDaddy. Most participants were wearing purple, including tights or tutus, purple hats, boas, necklaces, or sparkly purple face masks. We saw purple-flowered leis, purple back packs, and purple painted faces.

In the opening ceremony, the MC reminded the whole mob why we were there: to raise dollars toward a cure for pancreatic cancer. But it was much more than that. Such an event fosters courage and offers encouragement to those among the purple throngs who were in the midst of their cancer battle, even some who had tangled with it and survived to “walk/run another day.”

End pancreaticOur Mary was there, too, cheering on “her people” and hostessing lunch when it was over. Some of our team performed valiantly. Son Luke came in 3rd out of thousands, and that while pushing his own son in a jogging stroller. At the other end of the spectrum were those of us sheltering babies from the cold wind, some of us using a car as a warming room.

All 25 of us benefited by being able to do something to fight the enemy of cancer, and it was especially meaningful to do it in honor of Mary, who very likely will benefit from what science is discovering.

Marchers for MaryAny health crisis is an opportunity for loved ones to circle the wagons and draw close to each other, and this weekend’s 5K was a chance to do that.

God has allowed pancreatic cancer to enter our ranks for reasons unknown to us, but what we do know is that he doesn’t allow calamity without attaching blessing to it. Saturday’s 5K was an opportunity to show family-and-friend-faithfulness by doing something for Mary…. which was a blessing indeed.

“The fruit of the Spirit is…. faithfulness.” (Ephesians 5:22)

Mary’s Prayer Requests and Praises

  1. Praise for a meaningful weekend with family
  2. Praise for so many people willing to run/walk at the 5K
  3. Continue to pray for this week’s choice of chemo hospital
  4. Pray for pre-chemo strength and continued weight gain.