To say the least, the last two weeks have been a test of faith for our family. Monday the 7th my dad called me and told me that he had been to an ear, nose and throat doctor. That he had a lump in his throat and where that lump is, 99% of the time it is cancer. He was supposed to go for a stress test, a biopsy and a CT scan with in a week from then. Extremely long story put into a compact version~ all of those things happened the next day. It is cancer. He has a large tumor on his voice box and also two tumors in lymph nodes. The doctor told him that if he had not recv'd treatment with in a week, he would have been gone because the tumor was cutting off his airway.
Well, let me say that in this time I have found out that all I believe in is absolutely, 100% truth. God showed up for my dad in those moments, He showed up for me in ways like I could not have imagined. As I told my bible study group last night, the only strong hold that the enemy had with me was that my dad could not talk. I cannot tell you the prison that I felt surrounding me with that. My dad and I talk a lot. We are huge communicators, and to not be able to talk...ugh. There are not words for how I felt about that. To top it off, he had left me a message the week before, and I had erased that message. Were he not able to talk again, I would have been responsible for erasing the last message he would have ever left me. Pain gripped my heart like I had never felt before, but God is so faithful to me.
On the way back to New Mexico, I missed a flight. Instead of getting mad about it, I told God that I did not understand, but I was just going to trust him. I had made the choice to trust his timing. Missing that flight put me there too late that night to see dad. When I got there the next morning, I walked in the room right before the respiratory specialist who was bringing in a piece to hook onto Dad's trach that made it possible for us to hear him speak. I cannot tell you how sweet it was for me to hear him speak to me.
Well, a week from the time that the dr had said that my dad would have only had one more week had he not sought treatment, we took Dad home. The picture of me and dad was taken that day. I cannot imagine that dad was all that happy with me taking a picture of him that day, but that is our victory shot. I have a copy of that pic hanging on the cork board in front of my desk, and as I look at it it reminds me of the song, Victory in Jesus... Because from here on out it does not matter how hard the road is, all that matters is that one day, that moment...when we were able to stand together and claim victory over cancer...
The other picture that I put on here is one that I took on the plane ride home. It was taken after we came through the fog. I hate to fly...hate is not even the word for it, probably more along the lines of loathing...but in any case, not my favorite activity. The morning that I went to get on the plane to come home, there was a dense fog. I was gripped with fear. To be honest, I almost did not get on the plane. But I did, and as the plane came about 20 or 30 feet off the ground, we came out of the fog. A tear came to my eye as I saw the beautiful scene below me, and I was reminded of what my dad had told me so many times before. It does not matter what it looks like on the outside, all that matter is what God is doing on the inside. I was afraid because of what I could see...but the reality of the fog was short lived... and I believe the same will be said of this cancer. The reality of it will be very short lived.
No comments:
Post a Comment