OK, I admit it! As tomorrow draws near and I anticipate my second round of chemo...my 'gut' isn't exactly looking forward to it! Sure, we've done all we can to maximize my comfort...I'll be wearing the prayer shawl that my sweet sister Marilyn made for me, I'll have Ted and Nanno (my dear sis-in-law) with me which will be a total laugh-fest, and I'll be carrying my new Vera Bradley snack bag full of water and snacks for the afternoon (arrived yesterday, thanks to my friend Kathy). So the part I'm talking about is just the drug part...the drugs make me feel so very toxic and as a 'wellness person', it's so hard for me to re-orient my head around the good that these drugs are doing to fight those nasty cancer cells.
So I thought it very pertinent that God would give me reminders about perseverance this morning. Here goes...
My devotion for this day comes from Joshua and is the "river parting" story. It talks about how the people didn't "test the waters" before taking God at His word. No, they broke camp, packed up, formed a a line down to the river and marched right in. The phrase that spoke to me the most was "The reason we are so often balked by difficulties is that we expect to see them removed before we try to pass through them." In my initial gut reaction, that's so true for me! When I was younger, I wanted God to take the difficulty away instead of understanding that I needed to march into the river, taking God at His word. The devotion goes on to describe the story of Chris Columbus' tortuous journey to find the New World. Where would we all be had it not been for his famous mantra "Sail on, sail on!"?
So what carries us through? Well, here's what my Starbuck's cup said on the back today!
"There is a subtle difference between a mission and a promise. A mission is something you strive to accomplish--a promise is something you are compelled to keep. One is individual, the other is shared. When a mission and a promise are one and the same...that's when mountains are moved and races are won."
Hala Moddelmog, President and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
So I'm reminded once again of the need to "step into the water" before the obstacle is removed, taking God at His word, because I have a mission and a promise that is not yet finished!! I don't yet "see the land", but I know it's there. So, sail on, sail on!
Good one....sail on, sail on! God is truely wonderful...what He requires He always provides. He requires you to be steadfast and sailing on and He provided an excellent devotional for you this morning in reqards to perseverance. As for the chemo making you sick....it is a bitter pill to swallow I am sure. But there is hope! We are studying the Song of Solomon....isn't it interesting that when our love grows cold God gives us an SOS to get us back on track! In chapter 1 verse 13 the Shulamite says "A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, that lies all night between my breasts." Myrrh is a plant that is bitter to the taste but smells oh so sweet. Our hearts are in the midst of our chests. Interesting huh??? So whenever we have something bitter in our lives (whether God filtered or not) if we offer it up to God it will be come fragrant and sweet in the midst of Him. I will be praying that this chemo with it's bitter affects be transformed to His sweetness & you will be strengthen in your body. Hang on and keep sailing. Big Hugs!
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