Peace

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
John 16 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
My friend Rachel is now 34 weeks pregnant and when she was 31 weeks pregnant she was diagnosed with "a very aggressive form of breast cancer." They estimated that she has had it for 2-6 years because her tumor is 8-9cm in diameter.  I have gone back and forth with God on this one and I can honestly say, "Yes Lord, I believe we will have trouble in this life but I also believe You have overcome the world!"  And because of that, I can trust that whatever outcome you have for this, it is what you know best (but just so we are clear I want healing, Lord)!  I have laid my friend at the feet of Jesus more times than I can count.  I have gone through the emotions ranging from pleading with the Lord not to take her to saying, "Here she is Lord, she belongs to you!"  I don't want to lose her, but guess what? I'm not in control.  All I can do is pray and love her.  

I don't know who God wants to touch through my friend having cancer, but what I do know is that she trusts Him more than anything and she knows He is the only one who can heal her. She's going to have trouble in this life… she will lose her hair, be sick and try to keep that beautiful baby in her body as long as possible while going through chemo.  While all of this is going on, she gets to take care of her other 5 children that need her.  She also has to get through the holidays so she can go into January and give birth.  All the while holding it together the best she can, because she and her husband have 5 kids depending on them and they don't have the luxury of falling apart while her kids need her to be strong.  Her mom has told her if she just had faith and prayed her hair wouldn't fall out.  Her husband came home after a man approached him in church and told him that the reason my friend (his wife) had cancer was because she has bitterness and unforgiveness in her heart.  Mama told me there'd be days like this… Jesus promised us trouble.  Not if, but when…

So how do we respond?  Who do we listen to?  Do we listen to the voice of the enemy or do we listen to the voice of the One who has answers?  I wish I had some great message that would change the world. But today, in this moment, all I have is Jesus… but I guess that's ok, because that's the way He wants it anyway…


PRAYER:
I am completely empty, fill my cup.  And while You are filling my cup, help me to hear Your still small voice while the enemy yells.  And Lord, help me not to say anything thoughtless today.  I love you!

This is dedicated to my friend Rachel and all my friends who are battling illness…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DdgkvnsHjM

 

 

WHO AM I?

My name is Dorene Froese and this is a picture of me with my shaved head in honor of my friend Rachel.  It was totally worth it because I felt like I was supposed to shave my head a while back and I did… that day, I spoke with her and she told me she had just talked with another cancer survivor and she was told to shave her head that it was WAY more traumatic to have it fall out on its own.  She was crying about the same time I was shaving my head, because she knew she would rather shave her head than have it fall out.  She knows that it is vanity (her words not mine), but it is the only thing about her physical appearance that she LOVES! And she is going to lose it… anyway, because I was brave (her words not mine), she felt better about having her head shaved and she knows how much I love her.  Every time I rub my head, I try to remember to pray for her… so if you see me wandering the halls at church rubbing my head, I'm not being weird (well that's debatable I guess) J  

 

I have also attached a photo of her taken this week (Rachel is on the left).