The irony in this is that my last entry (February 2017) which was entitled "Stand Strong" was aimed at someone who I thought needed encouragement. However, looking back it was not long after penning that blog it was I who needed the encouragement. Once again cancer returned with a vengeance and the only option that ended with me being alive was to have my left arm and part of my shoulder removed. Upon my approval surgery went ahead. That was 6 months ago.
I now face life with one arm. There are struggles: phantom pain, relearning basic activities like getting dressed, regaining my balance, driving, drug side effects, and exhaustion. But my joy in being alive outweighs any struggle that I have come across! God is good and has sustained me. I pray every day that God give me the strength to get done what I need to get done and the wisdom to know what is really important. I have started telling my story to anyone who will listen and so have been speaking to church groups. I have a compelling desire to tell everyone how much God loves each one of us and that our relationship with Him is such an important part of our existence. My life advice that I share with my audiences is 'get closer to God'. Three ways to do this are to pray, to read the Bible and to invite the Holy Spirit to live within us. I think that a turning point in my journey was when I started asking God to fill me with the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 lists the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. These personal qualities describe true happiness to me. Peace with my life journey was what I really needed (honestly I probably needed some of everything). But peace allowed me to accept my life as it is.
My doctors marvel at how well I am doing and I tell them, "God is good". I plan to continue to live my life and find things that I enjoy and that I can still do. :)
I did have an interesting summer which was highlight by a road trip with my youngest son down to California where he is going to university. There is nothing like driving 1000+ miles in a Honda Civic with no air conditioning in the summer heat to create an unforgettable experience. I will probably always look back at this memory and smile.
My next big adventure will probably be getting my prosthetic arm and figuring out how to use it. :)
All is well! May God's blessing pour onto all of us. Amen. <3
