It’s A Glorious Day!
The innocent joy in my son’s voice as he proclaimed, “It’s a glorious day!” lingers in my heart even a decade later. While that summer day held disappointment for me, it has become a powerful reminder that joy is not directly related to our circumstances. One ugly word, cancer, and our lives had been turned upside down. Once the initial shock of the midnight ER visit, followed by a transfer to the pediatric ICU, had settled down, we began to talk details. I sat in a room with the pediatric oncologist and asked him question after question until I completely exhausted myself. He patiently and empathetically answered every single question as if I were the first mother he had ever delivered this news to. The doctor laid before me what he called our “chemo map.” It was every single day for the next four years mapped out according to the multiple chemo doses my son would receive. To say that this map was overwhelming would be a complete understatement. One of the most grueling parts of Evan’s treatment was the infusions of DEX, a high-dose steroid. If everything went as scheduled, we would be admitted to the hospital for approximately a week at a time, with a week off in between treatments. It was so potent we were not allowed to leave the hospital until tests confirmed the drug was flushed out of his system. We never knew how long our stay would be. Salt In The Wound In mid-summer, we were attempting admission number three or four. By this time, we had been through this daunting process twice, but, this time, the doctor told us that my son’s immunity was low, and he couldn’t be admitted for his infusion. For three Mondays in a row, we had been sent home. As Evan and I walked back to the parking garage with our suitcase and favorite stuffy in tow, I began to cry. I was so disappointed. It was a lot of work to prepare for these admissions. I ran a business with my husband and had to put in extra hours to make sure I could leave my office for a week. We also had a set of twins who were only three years old. As a mom, leaving them was one of the hardest parts of this season of life. Obviously, my sick child needed me, but so did my other two children. When I was in the hospital with Evan, I longed to be home with Carson and Claire. Every once in a while, my husband and I would switch roles, and he would be “hospital dad” so that I could be home with the twins. I remember those nights as I was filled with anxiety. I longed to be back at the hospital but also felt guilty for not being fully present at home. The packing and preparing process became quite emotional for me as well. It felt like the small bit of control I could find in a circumstance that was far beyond my control. As I cried, my son looked at me with a confused expression. “Why are you sad?” he said. Shift In Perspective At age six, he couldn’t understand why I would be sad to be sent home instead of being locked up in a hospital on such a beautiful summer day. As a child, I knew he would never understand the adult concerns, disappointments, and fears that brought me to tears that day. I simply said, “I’m just disappointed, buddy. I wanted to get this over with.” He replied, “I’m happy we get to go home. It’s a GLORIOUS DAY!” As we drove home, I repeated his innocent, childlike words in my head. It definitely did not seem like a glorious day. My son had cancer. It was summertime, and our vacations consisted of several hospital stays. I barely saw my husband as we both did what we needed to do to keep our family afloat. When we arrived home, Carson and Claire were so excited to see us. The weather was absolutely perfect. Now that I think about it, I don’t remember exactly what we did that day, but it wasn’t anything special. We played outside and enjoyed not being separated by a hospital stay. I do remember lying on my belly in the grass as the kids piled on my back and I took a selfie as I thought, “This is a glorious day!” That picture is still on my fridge–ten years later as a reminder that what I have planned does not always include God’s will for me or my family. I truly believe it pleases God to give us the gift of joy in the most unlikely circumstances. He brings joy into our lives in ways we do not expect, so we know the joy comes from Him. Joy That Stays With You Nearly a decade later, as I sat with my laptop writing this, my youngest son, Carson, asked what I was working on. I told him I was writing about joy. “Are you writing about me?” he asked. “Actually, I am,” I replied. “I’m writing about the glorious day.” Much to my surprise, he said, “I remember that day!” “You do?” I replied in disbelief. He was only three years old that summer. I had mentioned this story before, and there is that group selfie on the fridge, but I definitely did not expect him to remember that simple, insignificant day. Out of curiosity I asked him what he remembered about it. He told me, “We didn’t do much; I just remember you picking me and Claire up from the babysitter, and I was so happy to see you. We got to be home with you instead of spending the day there.” Joy Is Simple I was moved by this. In my adult heart, I saw the value in this unplanned, unexpected, and, if I’m being honest, unwanted quality time. I had no idea
How To Improve Your Relationships
Taking The First Step To Improve Your Relationships As an adult, I took a step and began attending a bible teaching church. Now, I not only believe in God, but desire to know Him personally. He drew me to scripture, Bible study, and yes, even stirred an appetite to never miss church services. My relationship with Jesus continues to be more and more important to me. The more I learn, the more I want to learn. The empty place in my soul is now overflowing with His amazing grace! He put the offer on the table, and I seized it. Will you? I almost forgot the best part—it was free. Now, we know not every relationship lasts forever. Some end because of distance or a change in interests. There is a portion we lose because of arguments, betrayals, or misunderstandings. Even though some end, each shaped something in your life. Relationships are at the forefront of our lives and it takes work to improve your relationships. Whether it be our family, friend circle, church family, or a ministry in which we serve, each one of these relationships has meaning and purpose. We value these connections and, therefore, nurture them. We take time to grow closer and share in each other’s joys and sorrows. They aren’t always easy, but when watered with honesty, love, time, and commitment, they bloom into beautiful blessings. “and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds,” – Hebrews 10:24 You Were Created For Relationship Did you know you were created for relationship? Not just with other people, but with your Creator Himself. Wow! Talk about a valuable friendship. I can’t think of any other relationship that could top the one God offers. It might be difficult to believe He is interested in us, but He is. After all, God orchestrated a perfect plan, that we might know Him for eternity. We don’t always realize this offer is on the table, do we? Growing up, I thought going to church was a chore. I treated it as something I had to do because my parents told me to. I kept going week after week because of expectations or half-explained traditions. Furthermore, I never gave a thought to “who” might wait for my presence in that big brick building with stained-glass windows. It wasn’t a place of relationship for me, but a place of obligation. Sounds terribly sad, doesn’t it? So many years wasted when I could have had so much more. But God saw me. “For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” – Zephaniah 3:17 Ask yourself, is there something within you longing for something greater? Is your soul nearing empty? God places the same offer before you. Will you take it? Walk into a genuine relationship with Him. You will find what you’ve been seeking, receive all that you need, and begin a journey of a lifetime. He sees you too. “And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” – Jeremiah 29:13 Do You Need Encouragement? We all need encouragement. One way to experience encouragement is to connect with others. Weare here for you. You are not alone. Join a Lifegroup and surround yourself with people who will lift you up and encourage your relationship with God Let Us Pray For You Talk To A Pastor
How Do You Experience God’s Redemption?
How often do we feel overwhelmed, forgotten, scared, guilty, hurt, or disappointed, and yet, by the grace of God, we have been redeemed, but how do you experience God’s redemption? All we have to do is participate. Redemption, defined by dictionary.com, is an act of redeeming, rescue, or deliverance from sin. For followers of Christ, we know He is our Rescuer. Ephesians 1:7 states, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” It Hit Me The other night I was wiping down my kitchen counters for the evening, reflecting on some of the different aspects of faith and being a follower of Christ. Simple moments can bring such clarity. The idea came to me (no doubt from the Holy Spirit) that you cannot fully know the power of God’s redemption until you allow yourself to fully participate in the process of God’s redemption. Jesus is Our Rescuer. He died on the cross, bearing the world’s sins. There’s not a pain you’ve felt that He didn’t also experience. So when we find ourselves lost for one reason or another, we need only to look to Him. What If I Don’t Believe? If you are not a Christian, if you had a bad experience, if you’re not sure what to believe, if you don’t believe in any God, or whatever else, I ask you to try participating in the process of His rescue. God wants a relationship with you. No. Matter. What. Much like if you shut out a close friend trying to help you, Jesus cannot rescue you unless you participate in a relationship with Him. Actively so. I ask you to try. Try walking alongside Him, allowing Him into your heart, and letting Him guide your path. Unless you participate, you may not experience the greatest joy possible. This looks like reaching out to someone who does believe for help and mentorship. It looks like praying. A lot. It looks like reading the Bible, joining a church community, and even a church Lifegroup. How Can I Help? If you are a Christian, I encourage you to remember that those who haven’t experienced the power of redemption, cannot walk in and live from this understanding. Grace, grace, grace. Remember our call to lovingly help restore the hurt by bringing them to the One who can help, the only One who can. This looks like inviting people to church or Lifegroup. It looks like praying for them. A lot. It looks like sacrificing your comfort to show them God’s love. It looks like doing what you can to bring them to God.
Ain’t No People Like My People
I have a t-shirt that says “Ain’t no people like my people.” SO TRUE! My people, my friends, my sounding boards, at times my guardrail. They love and support me well. They know I have a hard time asking for help so instead, they offer it and sometimes, they just tell me they are helping me, even if I say no. They know me well. That wasn’t always the case. I didn’t always have these people in my life. I had to step out of my comfort zone and into the “uncomfortable” world of Lifegroups to get there. These relationships were built as we got to hang out, learn, laugh, open up our lives, serve alongside each other, study, and chase Jesus together. I can call my people when I need prayer, good advice, or a checkpoint for my thoughts or actions. This is so necessary to have in our Christian walk. James 5:16 says “therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” I have experienced and I have witnessed followers go “off-roading” in our journey with Jesus and I have wondered, where are their friends? How did it get this bad or go so far, so fast and unchecked? They must not have had “my people”. Because they call me out left and right if I get off track. They have permission to do so because they know and love the Lord and me and want what is best for me. Find a Lifegroup. Find your people. Invest in relationships that will invest in you. Check out Village Lifegroups…