more waves.

While in Cancun, God was gracious to give me a picture of what battling cancer (or any overwhelming thing) might look like... Mike and I went out to play in the waves, and this was not like any wave-playing I had done before. These waves were serious and had to be respected. In fact the red flags were up on the beach (indicating unsafe conditions for swimming) and lifeguards were standing on the beach's edge. Since Mike was right in front of me and a lifeguard was right behind me I felt safe for the adventure. Basically the game was to stay standing. The trick was to watch the waves come in and leap up and into the wave with force and energy. You could see them coming and you had to pay attention. If you goofed off or turned around or got sloppy, you could be wiped off your feet and pummelled into the sand without warning. It was all about keeping your feet firmly planted and keeping your eyes on the right things. It was all about not getting overconfident in your ability to face the waves. As soon as I thought I was cool and strong and good at it, an undertow or mystery wave would surprise me from out of nowhere and wipe me out. In the middle of this "wave game" I heard God tell me, not is an audible voice but in a gracious voice in my heart, that this was a picture of what our cancer fight will look like. Sometimes we will feel confident and up for the adventure. Sometimes we will feel terrified and scared for our lives. The trauma of it will come in waves, but we need to keep standing firmly. We need to stay alert and watching. Keeping our feet firmly planted on what we know to be true helps us keep our bearings. Keeping our eyes on the Lord, who is bigger than the waves (and Who actually designed the gravitational pulls that created the waves) is essential to prevent drowning. I cannot tell you how many times this has helped me. Just this morning in the shower I prayed "Lord, help me stay standing." Yesterday we heard some good and promising things, mixed in with very sobering side effects that are a part of our journey. We'll blog more about those waves another day, but now we want to thank you are your caring prayers. They are what is keeping us standing.