Stage 1 of 3 is complete!

I finished chemo on Thursday and was very blessed to have minor side effects. You would think I would feel more celebratory, but battling triple-positive cancer is a marathon, not a sprint. I am very thankful to have a four-week break, especially during the holidays. Stage 2 starts in January with four to six weeks of radiation.

I am reading “Life as a Vapor” by John Piper during my quiet time. One devotion is entitled “Endings are for Gratitude, and Beginnings are for Faith.” Piper discusses that every moment is the beginning of the rest of your life and the end of the past, and every moment should be lived in gratitude and faith. I am grateful for the end of chemo. I am grateful that I have a path that I can take that has been successful in curing this form of cancer. I have faith that God is in control and one day I will be cancer-free, but it is tough to live in the tension between the now and the not-yet. I am now one step closer to being cancer-free, but not yet.

It seems that God leaves me in this waiting state more than I would like. In the past, I waited for a Godly spouse, children, and career changes. As a person who likes to be in control, I know God keeps me here so that I depend on him to direct my path.

Christmas is such a great reminder of expectant waiting. The world waited for a Messiah for centuries, and when He came, He wasn’t what they expected or even wanted, but He is exactly who we needed. Even in this broken world, we must have faith as we wait for him to return to take us home (NOT YET), and we are grateful for the guidance and provisions he gives us as we live in the NOW.

I am thankful for all the gifts, meals, and prayers you have given our family. We hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed 2024. Mary