5.20.2014

Only One Thing is Unchanging

I just received some news that a blogging buddy has breast cancer.

This makes me sad.  She's a joyous writer who now has to make some difficult decisions.

I'm reminded of Angelina Jolie and her COURAGEOUS CHOICE.

T.D. Jakes wrote that "life is the great equalizer," and I think of that quote often.  No matter how young or beautiful or successful or healthy we are - eventually, we lose it all.  In our final hour, we can't take beauty or strength or money or power with us.

What we can leave behind is the effects of our generosity, or kindness, or sacrifice.  Loved ones will benefit by what we shared and gave, not by what we hoarded or wasted.  When someone I know becomes ill, or dies, I am reminded of this.  As Elton John referenced, our lives are "candles in the wind."  We are bright and shining for only a time, and then we are gone.

As many of you know, my parents are 91 and almost 94.  Their lights are dimming, but they still sparkle when we are with them.  They have made a lasting impact on so many people over the course of their lives.  They were both in the Navy, both served tirelessly in their church for over sixty years, raised four children, and buried one when he was just 23.  They've lost most of their friends and half of their siblings.  They understand heaven is close, but if there's still good work to be done, gosh darn, they're going to do it.

When some people become ill, they question God - why me?  My blogging friend said, Why not me?  I'm no more special than anyone else.  What a beautiful perspective.  As the saying goes, God never promised us a rose garden.  Even if He had, lest we forget - a rose garden is full of thorns.


Such is life here on the planet.  Roses and thorns.  God wants us to know He is with us through both - the smelling of the roses and the wounding by the thorns.  His love for us, His plans for us don't change.   He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

After the rose petals are crushed beneath the snow, and the thorns are rendered powerless, and the breasts are removed, and legs no longer work, and memories are no longer clear, God and His love for us is exactly the same.




6 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow Mare. Sorry to hear about your friend.

I believe God is setting people on fire lately and the message is similar! I just wrote about love and choosing it in every circumstance. That's what matters... the love we receive (from God through Christ) and the love that we give to everyone around us.

Thank you for sharing.

Wishing you peace and a blessed day.
xoxo

Chatty Crone said...

How did I lose track of you - I fixed it in Bloglovin.

I know who you are writing about - teehee. You sure make me seem stronger than I am.

I thank God my Bible Study group just finished the book - The Will of God. I would hate to think that cancer is the Will of God.

It said when people die - people say - it was the will of God. Now if that person lived - people also could have said - that was the Will of God. How can both life and death be the Will of God?

I have to believe like the book said - that the Will of God can be split up into three ways - the intentional will of God - the circumstantial will of God - and the ultimate will of God.

His will and intent is a relationship (that will ultimately take us to Heaven).

The circumstantial will is that darn old thing or process called LIFE! And that is where the bad comes in. I think cancer is one of those circumstances in life. I think this is the hardest part to figure out - the mystery.

What I am going to hold on to is that HIS ultimate will is that no matter what life throws at you - the ultimate goal is HEAVEN.

I am not saying I am not afraid - I am, but when you get to this point - you have no other choice but to march forward. There are a lot of brave people out there.

Thanks for the beautiful note. Sorry I wrote a book.

Creations By Cindy said...

So sorry for your friend. Sweet and sincere post today. Your roses and thorns reminded me of a conversation my husband and I just had yesterday. We was looking at my rose bushes and I was picking some dead ones off the bush when he said, "Be careful, this bush is really thorny and then said, It is a shame to have a bush full of beautiful roses surrounded by so many thorns. I immed. said, Well, if it weren't for the thorns we couldn't appreciate the roses...He got my drift! Thanks for sharing this post today. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

debi o'neille said...

This post brought tears to my eyes. I'll pray for your friend.
Best,
Deb@ http://debioneille.blogspot.com

Cathy said...

Well said, my friend. As someone in my church often reminds us, "this is supposed to be the hard side." God is preparing us for heaven and trying to help us become more like Jesus.

Thank you so much for your beautiful reminder and I'll pray for your friend.

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

There a very few people in the world who have not been affected by cancer pretty much everyone knows someone who has had to deal with it