About a year ago, I made a request to those of you who read my articles, to please remember my Mom in prayer. She had just been diagnosed with breast cancer at age 77 and was facing the usual buffet of surgery, chemotherapy (a/k/a poisoning) and radiation. Many of you wrote back, expressing your heartfelt concern and promised to keep her in your prayers.
Well, your petitions have gone up to the Father and He listened and answered in amazing ways. I’ve been an RN for 17 years now and I can honestly say in all that time, I’ve NEVER seen anyone endure the entire regimen of cancer treatment with as much calm grace, and dependent faith on God as my Mom has.
It hasn’t been a barrel of laughs—far from it! But as scripture promises, God can bring great good out of our worst circumstances. She’s been forced by this illness to slow down and conserve her strength by spending considerable time in her recliner resting every day, while the toxic cocktail she was taking did its nasty job killing the cancer cells.
As a result, she found herself growing much closer and stronger in the Lord, as she utilized quite a bit of that time reading her Bible and talking to Him. That was definitely instrumental in helping her cope with uncomfortable symptoms and side effects of her treatment. In a way, it was kind of like she was put into a year-long, ‘time out’ by God, but not because of anything she had done wrong.
I don’t know why He allowed her to go through this awful business; maybe one of the reasons was, He just wanted her to cool her jets and spend a WHOLE lot more time with Him. She’s one of those weird, get-up-at-4am-and-have-devotions kind of Christians, and has been for years. But because of the lateness of the hour, perhaps He needed extra input from a faithful prayer warrior.
Right now, only He knows what’s been accomplished by those long hours in that recliner, but one day soon I expect she’ll find out after He says to her what we all long to hear from our Master, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant!”
My Mom is one of the few people who completely understands and shares my longing to leave this earth and go home; to finally stand in the presence of the Great I AM, jaw agape in awe and wonder. To lay down the sorrows, disappointments and burdens of this wretched life, never to think of them again. We whine to each other about still being here, and I do mean whine!
A few days ago, she sent me a You Tube video featuring the Mark Trammel Quartet, singing a song called, Way Past Ready. She said, ‘this is our song, honey,’ and boy was she right! Here are the lyrics:
I can still remember when I first heard a preacher
Tell that Jesus was coming again
I got so excited. I told everybody
To let the celebration begin
But, now the years have passed me, and I can’t count exactly
The times I’ve heard it preached that way
No doubt His coming’s nearing. Still I am growing weary
How long do I have to wait?
CHORUS
I’m way past ready for the Lord to come
Way past living where I don’t belong
Way past talking ‘bout the cloud, He’s coming back on
I’m way past staring at an Eastern sky
Way past dreaming ‘bout the by and by
Past singing every ‘getting ready’ song ever been sung
I’m way past ready, Lord Jesus
Even so, come
The signs have all been given. The prophecy’s fulfilled
And we’re waiting for the trumpet to call
The only ones going are those who have been clothed in
The precious Lord and Savior’s blood
So let this be your warning. If we thought His coming
Was close so many years ago
We have no time to waste here. It’s time to see the Savior
And I’m more than ready to go
(Words & Music by Rodney Griffin, 2010)
All I can say is, AMEN! You and me both, Mama!
My Mother completed her cancer treatment today, 3/22/13, and she’s doing remarkably well! She’s got some little fuzzy hair growth on her head, and she’s getting her stamina back a little more each week. She’s gonna be just fine.
I cannot begin to thank all of you who prayed for her, and kept on praying for her this past year. Your faithfulness HAS made a marked difference in how she’s been able to endure this event, and she told me that she has sensed the unseen spiritual support she was receiving from all over the world. Prayer works folks! Simple as that! When we all get home, I’m confident she’ll recognize everyone who held her up to God, and she’ll be able to thank you herself.
Well Mom, you made it through with flying colors and I’m bustin’ buttons proud of you! Even so, you and I are still ‘Way Past Ready,’ aren’t we? It won’t be too much longer now…
author: bensmomi99@gmail.com