“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:2 (NIV84)
Do you sometimes wish you were more outgoing? Do you wish for a magical switch to boost your charisma in order to make friends more easily? Some of you actually do make friends quickly and easily. Our daughter says that she and her husband can go out to dinner and before the credit card has been swiped he’s made four new friends, two potential business deals, and received an offer to be a groomsman in someone’s wedding. That may be stretching things a bit — but some of you collect friends as quickly as flies on your picnic lunch.
I’m nothing like my son-in-law. I have to work hard to establish relationships, probably just like you do. But every once in a while some great need comes along in our lives that reveals just how many friends we actually have — and how valuable those relationships are — and we are astonished. That happened to a man early on in Jesus’ earthly ministry. His great need was that he was paralyzed, which is debilitating in any time period, but in the first century it was particularly devastating.
But this man had friends. Friends that were invested in his life. Friends that were willing to step up and help. Friends that had heard about Jesus and believed He could help and heal. The short story is told this way in the Gospel of Mark:
Mark 2:3-5, 11-12 And they came, bringing to him [Jesus] a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic…“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God.
This man’s friends were willing to not only bring him to Jesus, but they were willing to put in a bit of personal labor by hauling him up on the roof, dismantling it, and lowering him right in front of Jesus! That’s quite a picture isn’t it? It’s quite inspiring whether you are the one in need or the one with a friend in need.
I have been the one 'with a friend in need' for the majority of my life, but this year I became the 'one in need'. I have now experienced what it’s like to have friends who will put in the effort to bring me right in front of Jesus through prayer. I have saved every single card and note that was sent to let me know you were praying. In fact, my box of cards was getting pretty full and I decided to put it on the bathroom scale one day in October — FIVE pounds of cards and letters! Can you even imagine how encouraging that is to receive? And I know that each one represented someone with the same heart as the fellas in Mark’s story — giving up their time and comfort to ask Jesus to heal their friend. And I believe He has done just that!
So first, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for being the kind of friend that would bring me to Jesus for healing. You have inspired me to be a better friend as well.
Next, I want to tell you that by the end of this week, I’ll be completely finished with all three forms of treatments that were prescribed for me: chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation. Unlike other types of cancer that can reveal whether one is cancer free through blood work, I will simply need to move forward with my life assuming the cancer has been eradicated and follow the future surveillance schedule to confirm that.
Lastly, this is my 35th and final weekly blog post that will contain any updates on my health. My journey has basically been 35 weeks long. I wrote the first post titled ‘Leaning into the Presence of the Lord’ on April 24, 2024. On that day, crossing the finish line of treatment seemed very distant. And look — here I am — officially crossing in two more days!
I’ve been publishing my updates each Wednesday. Since next Wednesday is Christmas and the following Wednesday is New Years Day, this seems like a perfect place to close this chapter of blogging.
If the Lord inspires me, I may occasionally write a post and share it with you. But, in general, I agree with The Preacher in Ecclesiastes who said, “to everything there is a season.” Thanks for joining with me in this season, and now I would encourage you to look around and find another friend who needs to be brought right in front of Jesus and pray with the same fervor that you had for me.
As Always, My Love & Blessings,
Sue
No comments:
Post a Comment