Stony Obstacles

The incredible details of Easter are still floating around in my head today. Each year there’s much to think about, because familiar Scriptures have the ability to make us notice one thing one year and another thing the next.

Women to the tombThis year our pastor mentioned something I’d never thought about, despite hundreds of readings through the Easter story. Jesus apparently rose from his dead state some time before sun-up that Sunday morning, leaving his tomb shortly thereafter. But three women who had dearly loved him began walking to the cemetery/garden “just after sunrise,” carrying costly spices and perfumes to anoint his badly battered body.

As they got closer, they began discussing a possible obstacle to their mission: would they find anyone to roll the large stone away from the entrance? Though they didn’t have an answer, they kept going.

As I sat in church on Easter, I wondered about the rest of us. We all come up against obstacles as we try to get to Jesus. But are we as forward-moving and determined as these women? Or do we say, “I know this obstacle is too big for me to move, and I don’t see anyone else available to move it, so I guess I can’t make it to Jesus.”

Last weekend I thought of the many obstacles Jesus encountered on his walk toward the cross, beginning with his intense discouragement in the Garden of Gethsemane just before being arrested. His enemy, Satan, was working overtime to derail the plan of salvation. And Satan still works daily to keep us from that plan and the Lord who established it.

As we walk toward Jesus, the devil puts obstacles in front of us to hold us back, just as the heavy stone sealing Jesus’ tomb would have kept the women away. In our Mary’s case, cancer is the obstacle, and the tempter is hoping she’ll be unable to get close enough to Jesus to maintain her strong testimony of his sufficiency. Since she’s made her faith public and it is encouraging many to walk toward Jesus, he is anxious to discredit her. It’s possible her agonizing decision about chemotherapy was made all the more difficult by this enemy of all Christians. He’d rather isolate her in defeat.

The three women in Scripture didn’t let the obstacle of an immovable stone stop them from proceeding toward Jesus anyway, and Mary hasn’t let cancer keep her from him, either. Actually, she’s been walking toward him with more resolve than ever, tough decisions and all.

Empty TombSalome, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and our Mary are all fine examples of what to do when obstacles come between us and the Lord: trust him to figure out how to move them out of the way.

“They saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large.” (Mark 16:4)

Mary’s Prayer Requests

  1. Praise for a good meeting with Rush Hospital oncologist today
  2. Praise that weight was up a couple of pounds on the hospital scale
  3. Praise for friends who’ve signed up for the Pancreatic 5K Walk
  4. Continued request for clarity on where in Chicago to have chemo

 

All About Easter (By Mary)

Moody ChurchSitting in the Easter service at Moody Church this morning was a gift.  Nine weeks ago when I found out I had pancreatic cancer, I quickly had myself dead and buried. I honestly thought that by this time I might not be here.  But there I was, sitting in dear Moody Church, drinking in the familiar, much loved surroundings, next to Bervin and our children, participating in the glories of victorious resurrection music and hearing an uplifting sermon about Christ’s triumph over death. The feeling was spectacular and extremely moving to say the least.

In the shower this morning, I found myself humming the chorus “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future, and life is worth the living just because He lives.”  As I looked at the church bulletin, I noticed Pastor Lutzer’s sermon was titled “Because He lives, I Can Face Tomorrow.” Coincidence? I don’t think so.

Easter has been something quite different for me this year, and cancer is the reason. I asked the Lord to “enlighten the eyes of my heart,” and he did, allowing me to soak in the reality of what really happened through the cross and the resurrection and to more fully understand the hope we have because of it.

EasterAnd here’s the bottom line: if I hadn’t put my trust in a risen Savior before I received that awful diagnosis, I would have jumped into a full-blown panic. Even now, having had the tumor removed and having been given a picture of medical optimism, I would have landed on the word “incurable”. That would have produced terror in my heart and made it impossible to feel any hope.  Every tomorrow would have been difficult to face.

In this situation, what would a person without Christ put their hope in? The doctors? The surgery? Chemotherapy? None of those offer more than hope-full-of-holes. But hope in Christ is “hole-less, holy hope,” optimism grounded in the truth of eternal life in heaven. Live or die, that kind of hope can’t be diminished.

And it’s all because of Easter…and because he lives!

It brings tears to my eyes when I see God demonstrating what he meant when he said he would walk with us through the valley of the shadow of death. (Psalm 23:4) I’ve been in that valley for 9 weeks now, and he has never left me. Even the most difficult days and tomorrows can be faced because I know he lives and goes with me.  Would I have so thoroughly understood such a promise without this cancer?

And could I have ever pictured the volume of love and support that’s come my way without this disease also coming my way? My heart is filled with gratitude. Although I don’t look forward to a future with pancreatic cancer hanging over my head, I do look forward to learning more of how God works, who he is, and what he wants to teach me.

Because He livesBecause of what happened on that first Easter Sunday, I get to be part of God’s family and walk with Him both now and throughout eternity. Because He lives!

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (I Peter 1:3)

My Prayer Requests:

  1. Christ the Lord is Risen Today…Hallelujah!
  2. Praise for wonderful family time during and after church
  3. Praise for so many faithful friends and prayer warriors
  4. Pray for courage and wisdom as we visit oncologists tomorrow

A Journey, Good and Bad

MapToday Mary and Bervin traveled back to Minnesota for several important appointments at the Mayo Clinic, a journey that came with good news and bad news. The good news will be when Mary’s doctor tells her his Whipple surgery is healing perfectly, right on schedule. The bad news will come as they meet Mary’s oncologist, a “chemo man.” He’ll detail Mary’s “phase 2” treatment plan for the next few months and may even want to kick-start it this week.

Mary is resigned to the necessity of chemotherapy but of course is dreading it. We’ve all heard too many war stories not to feel that way along with her. After tomorrow’s meeting she’ll know more of the details, but tonight she feels like she’s stepping onto a long, winding road.  Despite not knowing what pitfalls lie ahead, however, she has committed to go the distance.

Airdate: Sunday, November 12 (9-11 p.m. ET)Today as I thought about Mary beginning this extended journey, God brought another journeyman to mind: Abraham of the Bible. In that different day and time, his experience had several things in common with Mary’s. For one thing, he was told to set out without being given the specifics of his route or what was going to happen to him along the way, just like Mary. He knew some of it would be painful and surely wondered how bad it might get.

Even more significant than Abraham’s journey, though, was that of Jesus. From the moment of his birth, he began journeying toward the cross. Though he was God incarnate, as fully-man he probably didn’t know exactly what the route would look like or what his specific setbacks would be. And surely he must have experienced dread.

Palm Sunday's paradeEven as he made his way from the hills outside Jerusalem into the city on what we now call Palm Sunday, he knew that the devotees waving branches and singing allegiance to him would turn on him just a few days hence. Yet he didn’t step back from his journey. One pace after another, he saw it through.

All of that sounds like bad news, but there is some really good news for those on a God-prescribed journey. We can look at both Jesus and Abraham and see how Father-God was present and proactive in their lives along the way, partnering with them as they moved forward. And when they needed support and blessing, he delivered (with the unique exception of Jesus on the cross).

The present, proactive God will be there for Mary, too, as her faithful Sustainer, holding her firmly throughout her chemotherapy journey and rescuing her from pitfalls. And just like Abraham and Jesus, he will bring her out the other side.

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry. Do not be silent at my tears; for I am a…. sojourner like all my fathers.” (Psalm 39:12)

Mary’s Prayer Requests

  1. For good reports on Monday
  2. For God’s peace between now and the meeting with the oncologist
  3. Praise that the pain of the feeding tube has all but subsided
  4. Praise for a morning back at Moody Church!