Life Interrupted
I looked around at all of the faces in the radiology waiting room and wondered. What are their stories? What kind of halt to life are some of them facing? I said a quiet prayer and waited for my name to be called.
This recent check-up marked 17 years since my cancer diagnosis. A giant unexpected detour right smack in the middle of our wedding planning. The last thing I thought I would be picking out that year was a thyroid surgeon.
While I will never minimize the struggles imbedded in these scary, blindsiding times, I recognize that they are rich with opportunity. Unfortunately, recognizing something doesn’t always translate to embracing it!
I often need to remind myself of Priscilla Shirer’s thoughts on this topic. In the bible study Discerning the Voice of God, she points out that we find God in the interruptions. Life interruptions are like divine appointments leading us closer to God and His purpose for us.
Our lives are filled with these experiences that toss around our carefully thought out plans and cause us to change course. It’s hard to miss those brick wall to the face transformational trials, but more frequently we bump into day to day diversions. The flat tire that throws of the whole afternoon, a sick child the night before the big vacation, the cancellation resulting in a frantic scramble.
I don’t know about you, but my initial reaction in these moments is not to look for God’s blessings. I typically jump first to frustration and aggravation. But when I gather myself and make the choice to look for God in the interruption, whatever it is, He is there. He is there with a chance to connect with Him and the people He has put in my life. He is there with the opportunity to grow and to glorify Him in the process. He is there with a plan I could never have come up with on my own. He is there.
I didn’t appreciate this as much at the time, but those challenging months leading up to our wedding were no exception to finding God in an unwelcome interruption. In fact, one of my favorite interactions involved that surgeon I was annoyed to be “shopping” for along with something borrowed and something blue! With only a few months between my surgeries, treatment, and the wedding date, he looked at me with true compassion and said, “I promise to make your incision just right so it can be perfectly covered by a strand of pearls.” And he kept his promise.
God does the same for each of us. He may not always answer our prayers in the way we would like, but we will always find Him right there, ready to cover us in compassion.
“The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one’s ‘own’ or ‘real’ life. The truth is of course that the interruptions are precisely real life – the life God is sending us day by day.” C.S. Lewis
***I want to let you all know that I am going to slow down a bit with my blogging as we move into summer. I will definitely still post regularly (still on Wednesday) but just not every week. Thanks for understanding?
June 8, 2016 at 5:54 pm
Wow, so powerful as always Lisa! Also, a very cute picture 😛
June 10, 2016 at 7:06 am
I agree, very powerful, Lisa! It makes you think about all the experiences or “interruptions” that have crossed our paths without first connecting it to Gods plan instead of our thought out plans!
June 15, 2016 at 3:08 pm
As usual, your writings are thought provoking, insightful, and full of God’s love. Thank you for sharing.
June 22, 2016 at 5:08 am
Thanks for you comments and your support. I truly appreciate it and I’m glad you’re connecting with the blog!
June 22, 2016 at 10:26 am
Some nearly six years ago, my beautiful wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. Through this message you will not see me capitalizing these two words, breast cancer, because in our case this horrible disease did not nor does define my wife. I will never forget where I was and the time of day I received the call from my wife in tears about getting a somewhat cold message over the telephone that her needle biopsy came back positive. After the initial shock, we both went into our normal fight mode when major issues concerned our family. Working within healthcare, I knew of excellent physicians in the area, and if I didn’t, I always knew who to contact to locate such skilled professionals.
The first physician we visited was the pathologist to confirm their interpretation of the biopsy. The next physician was a national and international Pathologist I work with to receive a second option, and really review what were our treatment options. The General Surgeon specializing in breast cancer was are next visit. The third physician was a Medical Oncologist, who became my wife’s cancer primary care physician. He was the most senior of her treatment team, and had more knowledge and experience in the field than anyone I knew. To this day, he remains her most precious care provider. The fourth physician we selected was the Radiation Oncologist. Her attention to my wife cannot be explained in mere words. By the way, all of the physicians worked for different health systems. This is important to remember when one health system tries to sell you on receiving care just through them.
There was another major event that happened while meeting with the physicians, but because of its sensitivity I will refrain from mentioning it here. Let’s just say it impacted the entire family.
After two surgeries, six chemo and thirty-one radiation treatments, life was normal. Not hardly! Let me share just a few observations I witnessed as the everyday fearful spouse only observing from afar breast cancer in others. You see, my wife and I are the best of friends, and our longevity in marriage (now 47 years) speaks to our love and commitment to each other.
First and foremost, my beautiful wife is a Christian. I mean a true believer! She will tell you at nine years old in a small church in Ohio she was saved, and since that time has lived a Christian Life to the best of her ability. We’ve lost count of how many times she has read the Bible, and to this day and every day of our marriage, she reads and meditates on the Word every morning. This private time is when she Thanks God and prays for others. My beautiful wife is a First Soprano, and has sung with some amazing church choirs and as back-up to some well-known Christian artists. Coir is something we love doing together.
One story I recall was when she was getting one of her chemo treatments, and a woman next to her was really down. You see, after years of marriage her husband, the coward he is, left her because of her breast cancer. My beautiful wife consoled her and prayed with her right during the treatment. During her own ordeal, my beautiful wife made time to cook healthy meals for a neighbor going through very aggressive breast cancer treatments, and a choir member also going through treatments.
By the way, my beautiful wife continued working as a CFO for a not-for-profit company all during her treatments. The only time off was for the two surgeries. Her boss visited with her while recouping at home, and told her to take whatever time she needed. She was back to work three days after his visit. Now, she is retired and enjoying four grandchildren.
To this day, I go on every physician and lab visit with my beautiful wife. I even helped her pick out wigs. The only event I missed was when she went to get her gorgeous hair shaved off. I came home surprised and asked her why she did not let me know so I could be with her. Her answer was “I did not want you to feel bad!” Me feel bad, well you see this is my beautiful wife, a true giver and always thinking of others.
I could go on about the miracles and memories etched in our minds during this time. Every day I wear a pick wrist band to remind me what by beautiful wife and so many woman go through battling this disease. In many ways, I have become an activist for breast cancer and other cancer survivors.
The true Heroes of this never ending story is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and my Beautiful Wife. You may wonder why I refer to her as often as Beautiful. Physically, she is the most beautiful woman I ever met, and yet her undeniable Beauty lies deep within her heart and soul. To those at work, she was inspirational, to the woman going though chemo treatments, she was a private prayer warrior, to the neighbor and choir member, she was a good friend, to her immediate family she was and is our “Foundation of Courage and Strength!” A Christian Woman in every sense of the words!
Christians believe when we arrive in Heaven we will walk on streets of gold, live in mansions and our crowns, based on how we lived, will have many jewels. Well, my Beautiful wife, since she was nine years old God touched her and prepared her for the journey called breast cancer. Today, we sing in our church choir, she takes piano lessons and daily monitors and directs the lives of her ninety year old mother and younger brother in Ohio from Florida, making numerous trips to make sure their alright. She has never stopped cleaning her own home, managing our finances, daily interacts with our children and grandchildren and so much more!
People often talk about heroes like actors and athletes. They really need to look no further than to breast cancer survivors who in my estimation our True Heroes!
June 25, 2016 at 2:02 pm
Such a moving and inspirational story. Thank you so much for sharing.