With whom am I celebrating? (Billy doesn’t count…)
And a bonus for those who’ve been following me on the journey for a season or two…
What does this crazy guy do for a living that I have so much fun doing alongside him?
Leave a comment with your guessing; I’ll select two winners sometime upon my returning home. One winner for getting the first three right; a second winner for getting the first three plus the bonus right.
I think it has something to do with the seemingly “more” going on around me… in others’ lives. Maybe even in your life. I didn’t think anyone could talk me out of my feelings. They were pretty strong, fairly steadfast in their obedience to keep watch over my heart. But then I called her… told her I needed to talk to another survivor. And she talked me out of my lesser estate.
She reminded me about our enemy and his wicked intentions. His schemes. His craftiness. His willingness to tailor-make a trap for me. And then she said this…
The next time the enemy comes knocking with his lies, you rip open your shirt… you show him your scars, and you remind him of the price that’s been paid for your faith’s cultivation. There’s a story in your scars, Elaine. Write it before the Lord.
Her words stunned me, lifted me; challenged me and released me to the greater work of my faith. My heart is lighter now than it has been all day. A few well-spoken words from a sister survivor has made all the difference. She understands about faith’s scarring; she carries a few of her own. We’ve known a similar pain. We’ve walked a comparable path, and we serve the very same Lord.
And tonight, my heart is profoundly grateful.
For friends who know Jesus.
For friends who understand scars.
For friends who speak the truth.
For friends who answer their phones, despite what the Caller ID indicates.
Thank you for picking up the phone, friend. You didn’t have to, but in doing so, you’ve been God’s strength and love to me.
May we all, each one of us, add such strengthening and love to a friend in need this week. Never underestimate the power of a few well-spoken words on behalf of the King and his kingdom. He intends for his words to release their witness through his children.
Keep to it. As always…
Peace for the journey,
~elaine
PS: I plan on taking a bit of a blogging break this week, but I’ll be around to visit you as I can. Shalom.
I’m a woman in need of connection… a person who needs people. It matters not the number of people. What matters is presence… what my friend, Alicia Chole, would say “the present of presence.” We give big when we give ourselves to someone else, for the giving of self doesn’t come without price. It sometimes costs us a great deal. Mostly it’s a “good great” or we wouldn’t abide the connection. With the giving of self, we get something in return.
We live relationship.
I love relationships. I have many of them. Some deep; some less entrenched, but all of them meaningful to me for multiple reasons. Some of the sweetest ones I’ve known in recent days have been the relationships I share with you, my readers. It seems odd to outsiders that we share deep connections, but if they (the outsiders) were really in then they’d “get it.” It doesn’t much matter to me if they “get us;” what matters to me is that I “get you.” You are kind, generous, considerate, and real. Many of us have shared a friendship for nearly three years; some of you are newer to my world. Regardless of our tenure together, I shudder to think of how I would be faring right now without your constant love and support for me in this season. I know we can’t be all things to all people, especially people we’ve never met face-to-face, but your friendship has proved genuine to me time and again, and it has been, yet, another undeserved grace from our Father.
Along these lines, blogging allows us many beautiful ways to stay connected with one another. Got an interest? Chances are someone is blogging about it… cooking, decorating, photography, book reviews, Bible studies, educational links, health links, and the like. Blogging provides a menu for even the pickiest and hungriest of readers. Oh, that I could take it all in! Being a relational creature makes it all the more difficult for me to choose where to spend some of my time.
See what I mean? I’m a joiner; not because I need another thing to do, but rather because with the joining I know that…
1. The doing will be good for me.
2. I get to do the doing with some wonderful people.
Heart health all around, thereby living out (at least in part) my responsibility as it pertains to my being the living temple of the living God.
As I’ve said before in recent posts, these past months have been some of the loneliest of my life. Being sick and getting well sometimes live in isolation from other people. I get that reality, and most days, I’m fine with that, because when I’m feeling less than I don’t need a party to validate that feeling. Less is an event all its own with little need of further festivities… just ask the suffering soul. Still and yet, even the suffering soul needs connection. Needs a place to belong. To fit. To call home. To be safely loved and, in return, to love back.
And while I’m sorely lacking this kind of “fit” in my face-to-face connections with others in my physical community, I find that fit with some of you—the present of your presence in my life. And I want you to know how beautiful a gift you are to me. I thank God upon my every remembrance of you, because you are the sustaining witness of heaven in my life. You may not think your words worthy of consideration… may not think your prayers as getting any further than the ceiling above you, but I’m living proof that every word you’ve spoken on my behalf, every prayer you’ve uttered has been an integral part of my pressing through these last five months.
The connection we share here matters, not just to me, but to our Father. We live sacred relationship in this place; it is but a dress rehearsal for what is to come. I feel so honored to share the road with you. You are some of God’s best children, and I simply wanted to say so. What we do here is real to me; not just fluff and filler but the getting-down-to-what-really-matters kind of stuff. Heaven knows what will be counted in our favor because of the intentional investment we’ve made along these lines.
Keep investing in one another, friends; keep sowing relational seed, and see if our Father isn’t faithful to grow a beautiful offering of friendship. I hold some of those blooms in my heart this day: they fill my senses with the fragrance of God’s good grace and willing love for me. What a beautiful place to call home. As always…
Peace for the journey,
~elaine
PS: For a chance to win a copy of Mariel’s new study, Knowing God Through His Names, leave a comment with this post. I can’t wait to dive into the treasure of her words regarding the Word!
Thanks to all of you who lifted a prayer for me today. I spent five hours in the chemo chair {yes, five}, but every one of them was well worth the pause. Some old friends were there; some new. I’ve chronicled a bit of our fun and conversation on the video, finishing it with a word of encouragement just for you {there’s an obvious, running theme throughout–nourishment}! I realize these few minutes are a sacrifice of your time; if it’s not your thing, consider yourself excused and still loved by me. I’m doing these videos to chronicle my journey of chemotherapy–a touchstone of sorts for the road ahead. I, along with my family, will need the benefit of their witness in the days ahead as we move forward beyond my cancer.
Of this one thing I am certain… cancer has changed me; it will always be part of my story, and because I’m a woman prone to forget the faithfulness of my God, I need words and pictures to aid me in my remembrance and gratefulness. Blessings to each one of you for being here and for joining me on the road toward Peace. I love you more than you know. As always…
Peace for the journey,
“And the name of the city from that time on will be: THE LORD IS THERE.”
{Ezekiel 48:35b}
PS: The winner of Leah’s Bible study, From the Trash Pile to the Treasure Chest, is Jeneil from Rhema’s Hope. I’ll have this to you very soon, friend. For the rest of you, leave a comment today in keeping with today’s video content, and I’ll draw a winner or two for a surprise gift with my next post. Shalom.
A little earlier today, a knock arrived at our front door. The postman came bearing a gift…
Last week, our former congregation at Pine Forest UMC (headed up by the Friendship SS class and my fiery “ancients”) came together for a chicken dinner… a fundraiser for my family. Today, we are all stunned with the provision from God’s hands because of that fund raiser. Truly, we never imagined such bounty belonging to us, but that’s the way grace works–immeasurably more than we can ask for or even imagine.
Well, we’ve been asking God now for three months, even imagining a little bit, and today we hold something “unexpected.” Today we hold love in tangible measure, and we are humbled with the holding. We are exceedingly grateful for the body of Christ that loved us for six years and that continues to love us beyond reason in order to bring hope to our household this Thanksgiving. You’ve done that for us, good friends, and you’ve done it well.
We miss you; we love you, and we’ll always be mindful of the wonderful ministry years we shared together. You add to heaven’s glory, and one day soon, we will sit at the banqueting table together with the Lord. And I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a chicken leg or two to fill our plates!
