What a Difference a Year Makes!

Today is a momentous day. My emotions are on high alert and the (happy) tears are ready to spill over. One year ago today I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Last night Keith and I sat up past midnight (and I am paying for it today!), reminiscing about the highs and lows of the past year. It was such a sweet time of sharing our memories and reminding each other of the ways God blessed us – through His presence, His peace, through the kind acts of others. We remembered the very hard day when we had to drive to Waco to tell Paige and Chance about my diagnosis – and they had only been married for three weeks! And we remembered the good day three weeks ago, on June 2, when I received the positive report from my CT scan showing NO cancer. And we talked about the ways God has changed us by strengthening our faith and our desire to walk near to Him each day. He grew our love and respect for one another to a new, deeper level.

There is a beautiful passage in Isaiah 38 where King Hezekiah writes a joyful tribute to honor God for his healing. He says, “You restored me to health and let me live. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish.” And there you have it. God took something bad like cancer and wove it into a benefit (blessing). Isn’t that just like God? When I allow Him to be in control, I receive an overflow of joy and peace – regardless of my circumstances.

I told Keith last night that once all my treatments ended in March, I spent a few weeks being concerned (okay, I admit it, I was worried!) about if or when cancer might recur. Let’s face it, it happens sometimes. But those worries/fears/concerns have simply disappeared. “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matt. 6:27) I just refuse to worry about the future. One of our favorite sayings as I was going through cancer treatments was, “It is what it is.” But last night I said, “You know, I’m no longer saying, ‘It is what it is.’ Now, “It is whatever He wants it to be.”

So here we are, one year later. We are much wiser, much stronger, much more blessed. This time last year my sweet pastor sent us a note of encouragement and reminded us that, “God is ENOUGH.” He was right. “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26)

Today is the first day of the rest of my life WITHOUT cancer. Paige and Chance sent me a beautiful bouquet of pink flowers to celebrate my first survivor anniversary. Keith is taking me out to dinner tonight to celebrate. I am blessed beyond measure. Ain’t life grand??