Friday, April 13, 2012

"Rejoice in the Lord..."

Philippians 4:4-7

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 also says, "Give thanks in all circumstances..." so here we are, with a very bad CT, in fact, there is nothing left for us to do except let God and nature take its course. I have fought for 8, going on 9 years in May with 7 surgeries, 5 of them major, and 8 chemos, 2 rounds of radiation and there is no fight left...my body is worn out.

I have struggled over the years with these Bible passages--how can I be thenkful for cancer? I have come to peace with the answer...this time has brought many blessings, and I have lived to see our 9 "greats" being born, I have drawn closer to God than I believe I ever would have, in a much deeper walk, been able to co-author a devotioonal book which Cathy Messecar and I hope can find a publisher and come out this fall. I pray the book will give anyone in this battle, the courage and knowledge that God is there, with you, all the way.

I see other blessings, as my body wears out, that I will not outlive the other physical problems that would arise in me, creating more physical ailments. God is removing me in time to prevent kidney failure, and other illnesses I praise Him each day as I walk closer to my God and depend on my saviour Jesus to welcome me home sometime soon. I am sad to leave John but not sad to leave this beast--cancer--that has inhabited me for so long now.

Other family stories coming up as I think back over the years.

15 comments:

  1. We love you and pray and think about you daily.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Barbara Johnson-ClarkApril 13, 2012 at 10:43 AM

    My dearest Sister in Christ and my longtime friend; you have said it all. You have shared your mind and your heart, your complete love for our Lord Jesus and your faith that you will be at home with Him. There is no more that I can say to you except to tell you that I love you with all my heart. You have been comfort and inspiration to me every day that I have known you. The gifts that you have given me can never be equaled or replaced or taken away. And finally, knowing that I can spend my eternity listening to your wonderful stories about family and growing up in Madison brings such a smile to my face while my heart is breaking and tears are streaming down my cheeks. I love you Sister, and the ride isn't over yet, so don't give up until it is. He'll let you know when HE is ready.
    You have filled my fount with blessings, and it runneth over,
    Barbara

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dearest Bev,

    My heart overflows with thanksgiving for your generous spirit and the time we've spent together. Like you, I pray that the words from this blog that we've distilled into a devo book for cancer patients will soon find a home.

    You leave a hearty legacy of faith, family, and friends to carry on the work you started. May your days be gentle. My love to you and John...Cathy

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beverly, we all love you so much. You have been such an inspiration to me during all of these years. I am & will continually pray for you & John. I really appreciate you sharing your blog with all of us. That too shows us what a Christian person you are.

    Love to you and John

    Ann Napier

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dear sweet Beverly,
    My heart is aching as I read your post but once again you are so honest and graceful in the way you live your life and handle adversity.
    The miracle is the time we have together in this life, however long it ends up being. What a life, love, friendship, faith, marriage, all these you have shared with us. Know you are so loved and we will be praying for you. Vickie Linville

    ReplyDelete
  6. God has given you such great beauty at the finish of your race

    ReplyDelete
  7. Beverly,

    Love you (and John).

    Dotty

    ReplyDelete
  8. You have blessed me more than you can know. I look forward to all the stories you can share. Love you so much! Keri thompson

    ReplyDelete
  9. Beverly my love, heart, prayer goes out to you tonight. You have been such an inspiration to so many. I can't wait to get your book and read it. Love ya Carlene

    ReplyDelete
  10. Bevo - I know you dont get many men on your blog and since Linda is not a computer person- here I go. You have been fighting this big C thing for a long time with so much grit and determination bolstered by your faith in GOD Almighty. Yes- he can take it away or he can take you to him. We totally understand the issues with John as any family with a member on coumadin does. You continue to set an example for us all. A mountain of faith.
    Our prayer and love reach out and envelope you.
    An old Irish Blessing goes like this
    May the road rise to meet you
    May the wind be always at your back
    May the SON shine warm upon your face
    May the rain fall soft upon your fields
    and Until we meet again
    May GOD hold you in his hands
    May GOD hold you in the palm of his hand.

    LOve

    Tom and Linda Kilpatrick

    ReplyDelete
  11. Beautiful, just beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing your heart and soul with us. I pray that God continues to bless you and John. Thank you so much.

    Rob Wells

    ReplyDelete
  12. Bev,
    You are an inspiration to all. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, struggles, and triumphs. May God give you and John peace and comfort.
    With Love & Blessings,
    Dana Hall

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thank you for your blog. Most of all, thank you for your smiles, hugs, and love. Praying for peace and comfort for you. Love you.

    Dotty

    ReplyDelete
  14. Ed and Cindy MatlockApril 23, 2012 at 6:58 PM

    Beverly,

    What a testimony of faith you have written.s Thank you for allowing us to share in this
    journey with you. Our prayer continues to be
    peace and comfort for you, John, and your
    family. May He continue to hold you in the
    palm of His hand.

    Love and blessings, Ed and Cindy Matlock

    ReplyDelete
  15. Dear Beverly ~ I still love, think, and pray for you often. I treasure the crossing of our paths in art some time back and am thankful for the virtual world which has enabled me to tag along on your journey. Thank you for so graciously sharing. Your strength and honesty and sheer trust in God, come what may day in and day out, have been and continue to be "my personal cheerleader" when I'm tempted to grumble and complain about some of this world's inconveniences. May God grant you daily, hourly, minutely peace and bring you complete relief from your pain and discomfort. May He continue to be your strength and may you keep your eyes fixed on Him. Continued prayers for you, your husband, and your family ~ Kelley

    ReplyDelete