Thursday, January 10, 2013

Walking in the rain with God at one's side.

 One group guide, Laurie Vonk of Hudsonville, MI, using Ascending Leaders in her church wrote this blog today about her journey through chemotherapy and radiation for stage 1 stomach cancer. I thought it is wonderful and expect you will find it so too.

Walking in the Rain......

I received an ecard from a friend this week that depicted me as a little girl walking outside in the rain by myself. My friend, watching from inside, wished she had a big yellow umbrella she could hold over me to protect me from all the rain in my life...but she did not. Instead she put on her boots, came outside, took my hand, and told me she would walk through the rain with me!

This got me thinking about rain...first thoughts...uncomfortable, dreary, depressing. Then I realized the importance of rain...nourishing, causes growth, brings life. Rain is a sign of God's blessing - Deuteronomy 11:13-15 "So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today - to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul - then I will send rain on your land in its season. both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied."

I got my chemo and meds on Monday. The nausea started on Tuesday afternoon and lasted until I got hydration and more meds on Wednesday noon. I had some trouble with dizziness Tuesday morning - my blood pressure was pretty low 85/58. The hydration helped with that I think. (Sort of like rain) So far this morning (Thursday) things are pretty good. I am scheduled for more hydration tomorrow morning. Hopefully that will keep bad symptoms at bay. My next chemo is scheduled for Monday, January 21.

Thank you for your prayers that this chemo will be effective in my body and that I may be able to handle the side effects. The ultrasound of my gallbladder showed some thickening of the gallbladder wall. If symptoms persist, more testing may be necessary.

Let us be grateful for the rain in our lives and for those who are willing to walk through it with us! May we always be on the lookout for those who need a companion in the rain...may we be willing to get wet in order to show God's love to them!

Ezekiel 34:26 "I will bless them and the places surrounding my hill. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing."