Several weeks ago, Dwight and I were guests at the wedding
of a beautiful young woman that I have known since she was a small child. We were invited to “share in the celebration
and heritage of their families”. Everything
was absolutely beautiful and the pledge and promises in their vows were written
by each for the other. Lane’s father
walked her down the aisle and Glynn, her stepfather performed the beautiful
ceremony in English and Spanish. It was lyrical,
it was magical, and a true blessing to witness.
Stepping back in time, not too long after my own cancer
battle, Dwight and I had three people on our prayer list that had my heart
aching as each were battling cancer for the second time in their lives. The days turned into weeks, then weeks to
months and I was not seeing answers to my prayers for them. I was praying for the Lord’s will, but of
course wanted His complete healing for all three.
Lisa G was fighting a very aggressive cancer that had metastasized
to most of her organs and she was regularly experiencing one major setback
after another. She was the only one that
I actually did not know. She was young
enough to be my daughter. A friend in one
of our prayer groups worked with Lisa, a teacher for autistic children. She
had asked us to please add Lisa to our prayer list and said we could get daily
updates on Caring Bridge,
a site for those battling catastrophic illnesses. Lisa’s constant prayer for herself was “for God’s
will”. She and her family daily shared
their incredible faith with all of us that were “warriors on her team”. They shared their Bible readings each day and
Lisa’s words of encouragement for those on “the team”, her ever-changing prognosis
and updates from the doctors, facility
moves, details of surgeries, testings, and treatments. It was exhausting for the many months of daily
trials, victories, fearless fighting, and waiting.
Mike M. was fighting brain cancer. He had battled brain cancer when he worked in
Pasadena. Dwight and I had prayed for months to bring
Mike and his wife Tammie to the City of Wylie—not
them specifically, but people of their integrity and faith. We felt so incredibly blessed when they came
to Wylie and we felt Wylie was blessed to have them. During their time here in Wylie, Mike went
regularly to MD Anderson for his checkups and during one visit, tests revealed
the reoccurrence of his brain cancer.
Mike underwent months of testings, surgeries, complications, and treatments. Their resolve was strong throughout their
time in Wylie and they were a blessing and testimony of faith to us all.
Glynn M. had two bouts with very aggressive melanoma. I was absolutely devastated for Dorian when
she first told me of Glynn’s cancer. They
were still newlyweds and I was so incredibly sad that she was having to journey
through this fearful battle of loss. She
had experienced a very painful divorce and afterwards was an incredible and
dedicated single Mom to Lane. When Glynn
came into their lives, he was an answer to prayers—their “shining knight” of a
husband and father. I had hoped and
envisioned Dorian’s life to be a joyful one exempt from anymore pain. They faced their battles with grace and calm
that I believe can only be a result of a great and deep faith. Glynn was light-hearted and encouraging that
all would be well when I talked to him and his concerns were always for the
family, not himself.
Over a period of months, these three remained on our prayer
list. And over the months, there was
more intense intercession in my prayers for them. I often would be weeping as I prayed for them
and their families. Eventually, I could
see the Lord’s hand in it all, even though not quite like I wanted. Glynn has recovered and is well. He looks great and he certainly can perform a
beautiful and moving wedding ceremony!
The Lord continues to bless him and Dorian and those that know Glynn by
allowing everyone to witness God’s grace and glory through him. And Mike is in remission and doing well. His doctors advised that he take “early
retirement” and we are thankful that the City of Wylie was gracious in allowing
Mike to move back home to Alabama and finish out his tenure under a “bridge contract
for phone consults on an as needed basis” until the time he was eligible for
his retirement. He and Tammie are back
home where all the family lives and are doing well.
Little Lisa lost her battle and went home to be with her
Lord after many, many setbacks and battles.
She and her family were a huge testimony of faith to all of us that were
blessed to have been in petition for Lisa and her family. I honestly believe there was more ministering
to us through them than we for them. I
grieved the loss of this young woman for months, for I truly believed she would
get well. She had so much to share and
was so loved by so many and it had become a personal battle for us all. I felt as if I had lost a close family member
as her fight was a shared journey that I had walked with her for many months.
Months later, on a Saturday, Dwight and I went to an all day
conference on “Caregiving for the Ageing Parent”. It was at a church in Rockwall and started
very early with a breakfast. The day’s
agenda had three breakout sessions for each hour. There were many different topics to choose
from and between each session everyone met in the sanctuary before advancing to
the next group of topics. In the
sanctuary, they would introduce the speakers of the next session’s topics and
have drawings for two door prizes. After
our lunch break, we went back into the sanctuary and as we were waiting for the
introductions and door prize drawings, I leaned over and whispered to
Dwight. (NOW
I have to explain before I tell you WHAT I whispered, that I tease a lot and can
have a “smart mouth” when teasing Dwight and others I know well. And what I
whispered to him I did not do and did not seriously mean I was going to do it
at all!) What I whispered to him was
“Ya know, they have had some really nice door prizes….I am going to pray that
we win”. Dwight turned and gave me a withering look to
my silly and teasing little shrug. Once
they made the introductions for the next session, they made the first draw for
the door prize AND it was Dwight’s ticket
number! He turned to me in disbelief and
I was so embarrassed---so hoping that no one had heard what I had teasingly said
about a “prayer”. But wait, there was
another drawing and again, I was so bad.
The next ticket number drawn was MINE!
Now there were probably at least 300 people at this conference and the
odds of Dwight and I both winning 1 of 12 of the day’s door prizes was
certainly not expected! When he again
looked at me in disbelief, I again could not control my mouth and whispered
“Well after all, I did say for US to win not just YOU”!
Immediately, I knew what had happened. I looked at Dwight and I asked him, “Do you
realize what just happened”? He laughed
and teased me right back saying “Yes, I just won a huge basket full of wine and
all the accessories, and I’m a Baptist”!
I told him then that the Lord was showing me what I knew, but
what I had lost sight of and had lamented those months since Lisa had died. I had kept seeking answers to my prayers for Lisa, Mike and Glynn—His will, yet what I truly wanted,
was my will—for them all to receive His perfect healing. It was at that very moment of dawning, that I
was able to “let go” of the grief I had been experiencing over Lisa’s
death. At that time, God was showing me
that “YES”, he had heard all my prayers, just as He had heard my silly, teasing
little statement about prayer just minutes before. He had answered my prayers for Lisa, as
she was NOW WELL--made
whole and perfect, was now home and no longer suffering.
…..in everything by
prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to
God…..Philippians 4:6
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