Dear beloved reader,
I am asking you to reread a blog post I wrote last March.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
I remember the first time my close friend Claudia told me she had
cancer. She told me to sit down. I was thankful later she asked me to do that.
I don't recall the words that came out of my mouth after that
announcement...You want them to be words to encouragement. Words of hope. Words
that have clarity and most of all words of love. I remember crumbling to my
knees when I was told by my father he had lung cancer...I can't recall what I
said to him that day either... To be honest, I don't recall one word I said to
any of my friends and family who have shared that painful declaration with me,
and unfortunately there have been many. Sigh.
So this week when my dear friend Kerri told me her cancer had returned
after almost 10 years...
I AM going to remember what I said to her. I'm NOT going to forget and be paralyzed in my brain as a close friend bears their raw spirit and pain filled heart and soul. I will not forget what I said:
Oh Kerri...my dear friend, I am praying and will encourage my family to pray as well.
I AM going to remember what I said to her. I'm NOT going to forget and be paralyzed in my brain as a close friend bears their raw spirit and pain filled heart and soul. I will not forget what I said:
Oh Kerri...my dear friend, I am praying and will encourage my family to pray as well.
My heart is suffering right now with you.
HE is our peace!!!
HE is our peace!!!
Today this precious friend found out the extent of cancer and is making decisions about treatment. Not the news she wanted to hear she said. The sharp reality of those words fell hard on my heart. I stood with my phone reading her text while shopping in Costco...crying. What do you say to those suffering and hurting so deeply? I decided to make my words few and said ,
Jesus will carry you.
My prayer is those words are the beginning of healing for Kerri and
maybe for someone you know that you love deeply. May our words be full of
kindness, love, and... hope!
That was written about
9 months ago...My dear sweet friend was "carried by Jesus" into
heaven surrounded by her family December 17th 2015. You know, I looked back at
what I did say to my hurting friend and it was truth. My family and many
friends prayed earnestly for Kerri, and our hearts did suffer with her as she
fought like a crazy woman to beat cancer. Kerri always called it "c".
She wouldn't give into any part of it! So she minimized it as much as she
could. He(Jesus) was her peace. She valiantly called out to HIM alone for
strength, endurance and peace to stand strong. Yes, ultimately Jesus carried
her right into His loving arms after He carried her through a battle. He is her
dance partner now. (Many of you may remember her dancing moves at my son Grant
and Taylor's wedding!) My heart hurts and as I write I swallow hard to
relieve the tightness in my throat remembering and now missing my girlfriend
from high school and a span of friendship that thrived even as our empty nests
arrived. I wrote in my book Wet Mittens a chapter called You Gotta Love Deeply.
I think it's the one life lesson I always come back to and write about so
often. This past year that lesson was taught largely by this precious
friend. Oh heck, I realize now she has been teaching that to me for years! No
worries my Kerri, we will all "Kerri-on" just like you showed us how
to !!
