Dear praying friends and family,
Thank you for helping us with your prayers (and tender words, yummy meals, and thoughtful gifts)!
Here’s the latest:
Super Bowl last night. Super Ball tonight. Super Bawl yesterday. I’m postponing my standard update so I can share my Super Ball (and Bawl!) with you, instead. For those asking, “How are you feeling?” I plan to post again on or before Sunday, Tim and my 29th anniversary (Yes! We really married on Valentine’s Day). And there’s a good chance I’ll have energy to write because…
The Super Ball: Good-bye tired, hello wired! Mondays before chemo I begin a 3-day super steroid. During those three days I get about 4 hours of Benadryl induced sleep each night, 20 hours of carpe diem!
The steroid is like a fairy godmother. “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo,” a swish of her magic wand, and I’m transformed from an abstract-random Cinderella to a concrete-sequential Power-Princess, ready to dance the night away with Productivity. Super Ball begins tonight, thus I write!
Next chemo Tuesday, February 9.
♥Please pray for continued mercy and healing – death to all cancer cells and shield to all healthy cells.
The Super Bawl: A Peek into my Journal
I really want to declare You – I want my life and words to show the truth of who You are – the truth of the gospel.
I want to give a cup of cold water to the thirsty coming behind me. To share comfort You’ve given. To share wisdom on how to make it through the valley of weeping.
With tears today, I recognized how I’ve been praying, longing for this cancer chapter to show the truth of who You are. While people are listening, I want to introduce them to You- so they know You as You really are – more and more. I keep asking that my suffering produce good for their benefit – real fruit that makes the Gardener’s (Your!) heart happy.
And while I want to beat cancer, (please God, spare my family sorrow upon sorrow) my whole life purpose – my deepest longing – is to display Your splendor. “This life to declare Your promise.”
But this morning, as tears poured unexpectedly, like a sudden summer storm, I realized You are displaying Your splendor – TO ME – more than through me.
It’s me who needs nourished and refreshed. It’s me who needs to see the truth of who You are – more and more.
Lord, help me to express gratitude. I ask You to bless each one.
Thank you for their love for me expressed through words and gifts and prayers and caring enough about me to read a blog, follow another cancer story, walk with me.
Displays of His Splendor
Dear praying family and friends, it’s you displaying the truth of who God is – to me, it’s you meeting my needs with good fruit, it’s you making His heart (and mine!) happy.
Will you praise and thank Him with me for:
♥Friday after last chemo, dragging physically and mentally into the classroom to find: The room set up by students -everything in place; A student at my side ready to unload supplies as I unlock the cabinet (Chemo Brain– I have to look up my padlock combo, moving slowly); A different student lingering after school, “How can I help you, Mrs. Michel?”; Finding three filled grocery sacks with loads of yummy food for dinner (and more!) and I tear up, It’s like Christmas; Fumbling, carrying my Christmas gifts and teacher bags to the car and a student runs up, “Need any help, Mrs. Michel?”
♥Texts and Cards from: friends, family, students, former students, Greenhouse colleagues and families, and Jesus lovers – strangers, including a Grandma of a student.
♥Prayers – an army
♥Gifts- thoughtful, personal, “I see you,” gifts.
♥House Cleaning – Molly Maids (“Deep Clean”) and Friends (who want to!)
♥Million Meals
♥ Grocery Shopping
♥Laughter (with me – mostly! sometimes at me! I told Tim to stop “bullying” me when he laughed, “You’d look like a pirate if you added an eyepatch!”)
♥FaithfulFriend.Fellowship.
♥“With me” – Walking beside me, reading my story – genuinely caring.
Forgive me?
Some of you I’ve thanked via email or in person, but many more haven’t heard from me at all. Please don’t misunderstand. I have treasured every kindness, yet your name remains on an ever growing list of “to dos.” That stinks! I’m sorry.
Thank You!
Please receive this update as a HUGE thank you hug! (And know I am thanking God for you and asking Him to blanket you with blessing!)
And I’m giddy thankful to God for opening my eyes to seeing His splendor – deeper and more glorious – through you!
Thanking God for you! And praying we know Him – Splendid, Glorious, and Giver of good gifts – more and more.
Love, Becky (His.Princess.Warrior.)
Who, by faith, is believing God that “we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 (TLB)
BY FAITH BECKY... 