The Journey - Part 5

This week should've been my "bounce back" week, but the stomach flu grabbed me a couple days. Although it was a bit discouraging, I was pleased to have been able to work 2 half days this week. It was refreshing to get out and do something...and see people! Yeah!

Monday I begin my final full round of chemo. I can't tell you how blessed I have been by all the positive comments and prayers lifted to the throne on my behalf. God is surely in my midst and as always, I covet your prayers. You are a faithful people.

(If you haven't read any of my earlier posts, the following may not make much sense. Feel free to "click" on the links to the right to update or refresh yourself as you continue with me on my journey.)

Coincidence: Something that happens by chance in a surprising or remarkable way.
This part of my journey happened by chance? No.
Surprising and remarkable? Absolutely!

When I emailed the details of the cancer to my Friday bible study friend, “T”, she immediately contacted me. Come to find out, her relative, “E”—the one we were praying for during our Friday bible study time—had the exact type of cancer as me. “T” and I had never talked about the official medical term before, and she even called “E” to verify the correct name. “T” and I were astonished. All of these months I’d been earnestly praying for a man I had never met—and now I have the same cancer. This was so surreal to me. I didn’t know what God’s plan was, but I was pretty sure whatever it was, I was going to be part of it.

In talking with her relative, “T” mentioned me and our similar circumstances. “E” told her if I ever wanted to visit with him on the phone about his treatment (he was receiving special radiation treatments in a facility out of state), he would be happy to talk with me. Knowing he was not a believer and adamantly against anything God related, I knew without a doubt God had to be up to something. I began to pray—just a little bit (just keeping it real here) about how or if God wanted me to proceed. And then I quickly tucked my unanswered prayer and his phone number away—not thinking much about it for awhile.

The days quickly passed, and the Monday before my surgery, God tugged at my heart once again. It’s time, He said. Your surgery is in 2 days—you may not be able to talk for awhile afterwards. It’s time to call “E”—call him tonight. Of what little I knew of “E”, I did know he was extremely resistant to anything spiritual or God-centered, so once again, I began to pray. If God really wanted me to call him, I didn’t want it to be just a social call. This was serious stuff—eternal stuff—and it had to be bathed in prayer and by divine appointment only. So that Monday evening, with my Evangelism Explosion tract in hand and bible by my side, I prayed for God’s wisdom as I nervously punched in his number.

Then Moses said to the LORD, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue. –Exodus 4:9-11

Throughout this journey, I’ve tried not to question God. But this incident had me completely baffled. I was not one that easily shared my faith…yes, I have all the right “equipment”, but sadly it had not been intentionally used in a long time. I wanted to pull the “slow of speech” Moses card and wave it at God, begging for a more suitable substitute. But ultimately, I knew this journey was a relationship issue, and not just for “E”, but for me, as well. And of course God knew that—because He is God.

To be continued…