Details

One week ago I had my treatment. I never know when I go home what the next few days will look like. This chemo treatment, number 6, has been mild...which is great. I am so thankful to the Lord for His "going before me" again.

I did start to feel the nausea Wednesday afternoon, which really just means I start to feel this queasy stomach feeling. When most of us normally feel that way, the response is to not eat for awhile because your stomach is unsettled. But with chemo, the longer I go without eating, the worse the nausea feels...so the dilemma is needing to eat and not being able to think of what sounds good or what will taste good.

SO...Wednesday night a dear friend was bringing food for our family, but I didn't know what it was going to be. When she arrived, she walked in with poppyseed chicken casserole and some side items. I was so happy...it is one of the things I've been able to eat. It looked good, smelled good, and tasted good. Hooray!

Now, I hesitate to tell you all those details...but I wanted to because I believe the Lord takes care of details in our lives. He is a detail God. The food just "coincidentally" was just the right one for my needs that night. Amazing God... that He should love me through my friends hands and heart in that way.

Then Thursday was my bad day. I woke up achey and nauseous. I prayed that morning "Lord, please stay close to me today...let me feel Your presence, because I just can't do this without it." Everyone went off to school and work and I was there on the sofa. I could see that it was going to be a long, long day.

The doorbell rang around 9:00. It was a church friend and she was bringing fresh organic country eggs. She said "How are you doing today?" I said "kind of yukky today". She came in and sat down and talked a few minutes and prayed with me, then she was off. Just a nice short visit. Around 11:30 another friend from church called and said she was bringing supper, but wanted to deliver it around noon, if that was okay. I said yes...so she came over and brought the food and sat for about 20 minutes and talked to me. Another nice visit. Then around 2:30 another woman from our church stopped by. She is a 12 year breast cancer survivor. She had brought me a song on a CD she wanted to share with me. We talked for over an hour about lots of different things and she prayed with me also. It was such an encouraging conversation time. After she left, all the family started coming home one by one.

I looked back on the day and saw how sweetly my prayer had been answered! The Lord HAD stayed close to me. And He physically sent visible proof that He was watching over me all day long. A visitor in the morning, one at noon and one more mid-afternoon...all encouraging my heart. It definitely helped the day go by faster!
That is how the Holy Spirit moves among us, like a wind that blows the leaves. We see them moving, even if we can't see the wind itself. All those women blessed me and sustained me through a long day. The Lord God was faithful to sustain me!

The next day, Friday morning, I woke up feeling much, much better. I took Mary to school, went to Walmart, came home and did laundry and vacuumed...all by noon! The roughest part of the storm had passed.

Thank You, dear Jesus, for Your presence in our lives, for Your constant love and tenderness to the details. I do not want to live one day without You. Thank You.