Today we had lunch with the B family, some very special friends who host the weekly couples Bible study that Jeff has been leading for over a year now. This family has become very precious to us, and it was delightful to spend time relaxing with our families together. Our kids played with their kids and our youngest sons (born 3 weeks apart, they are both named Samuel) shared a playpen. We chatted about Christmas, hospitality, toilet training and how Mrs B's pregnancy is going. Mrs B and I got the lunch ready, laughing together when one of us spilled a bowl of salad dressing all over her kitchen floor. Mr B watched over the BBQ while Jeff supervised the older kids' antics in the wading pool (it was 44.2 degrees here in Perth today, the hottest December day on record). L excitedly showed Joshua his Christmas toys (they too have birthdays only weeks apart) and the other kids milled around having fun together. We pulled crackers and put on our paper crowns and talked about how it is Jesus who is the real King, whose crown is everlasting.
But Mrs B couldn't eat much at lunch because she has to take her cancer medication tonight and she gets nauseous if she eats much before she takes it. In the midst of all our happiness celebrating the birth of Jesus, the son of God whom we both love and worship, I couldn't help my sadness. Because one of my best friends, a woman who just turned 30 and is three months pregnant, with three other children all too young to be at school, has just found out she has leukemia. I love her so much and she has been such an immense blessing to me and there is nothing I can do to stop this except pray for her.
So God, please hear me tonight. Keep my precious friend from feeling sick when she takes her medicine. Let her sleep be calm and peaceful. Help her to rest and give her strength for the days ahead. Shelter her under your wing; hold her in your loving arms. Let her know that you are with her as you have promised to be, always and forever. Amen.
Wednesday 26 December 2007
I hate it when sad things happen at Christmas
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2 comments:
He heard you. He hears you. He knows. He cares.
I believe with everything in my body that He is grieving and sad about your friends cancer as well. That's what a good Father does. He cares.
Praying right now for you friend as well. :)
Emily
Thanks Emily. I've been praying for my friend since she found out after routine pregnancy blood tests - in itself, this was a mercy from God, because if she wasn't pregnant, the cancer would have progressed further before she found out she had it. I know He cares - sometimes I just need to cry on His shoulder a bit.
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