I found the lump one night early this September. We were 4,800 miles from home. We were traveling the northernmost road in Canada with all its snow, sleet, and mud. The day before I had photographed a grizzly bear walking along the roadside. With my husband softly snoring next to me in our tiny camper, I wondered what this lump might mean and what Papa’s next adventure for me might be.
Now, two months later, I find myself diagnosed with breast cancer. Surgery is scheduled for December 9. It seems so surreal… I feel great. Life is great. How can this diagnosis be true?
The first question many of us ask is “Why did this happen?” The answer is simple but never easy to accept. We live in a fallen world. Bad things happen because of it.
For me, the question I must ask is “What will I do with it?”
I love Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. One of my favorite lines speaks to just this moment. Frodo wishes the ring had never come to him. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given.”
In the next several posts, I would like to share with you some ideas on what we can do with the time that is given… even when the diagnosis is unexpected. I welcome your comments and know that together we can find hope and answers in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for You are close beside me.
Your rod and Your staff
protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely Your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever. Psalm 23 (NLT)
What's Next Papa? 