Walk the Walk. July 30, 2015.

July 30, 2015

Hey strangers! Just kidding because I’ve been a stranger so I apologize. I just have had a crazy few days but as most of you know I am now visiting my cute little apartment in Spokane. Seattle was really fun and we were able to do a little touristy type things like Pikes Place and Beecher’s. On Tuesday we had appointments from 10 in the morning to 6 at night. It was SUCH a long day. Unfortunately we left with more questions rather than answers so I don’t have new solid news for you. Without getting into medical lingo that I even have a hard time with I am waiting on the doctors to make a decision about the abdomen nodules. They are suspicious enough to look into it but not alarmed enough to say that they are cancerous. Please pray for wisdom as they try to decide how to determine whether they are bad news or good. Once they figure that out then they will be able to tell me that I am Stage 3b, which in that case I will be doing radiation, or Stage 4 which in this case I would be put on a clinical trial.

It’s so good to be in Spokane, I adore my little apartment and it’s been hard not to envision my life here and hope to come back. I am trying to focus on enjoying the time the Lord has given me to be here and see some of the people that I love. Cancer has been revealing a lot to me lately as those of you who have been reading my blog have noticed. One thing I’ve noticed a lot lately as I go from place to place is who makes the time to see me. It’s been so cool and encouraging to see strangers, or people that I don’t know very well, or even family and people I’m close with come around me and support me. I have been so blessed by those of you who have taken the time to not only talk the talk but also walk the walk. You have truly shown me what it means to invest in people’s lives and you have shown me the importance of selfless love. At the same time I have been shocked by the people who don’t walk the walk. The people who claim to be invested, or the people who I considered close to me who haven’t come through with even an encouraging word. I have tried my hardest not to be offended or hurt by this, I have tried to remember that people get busy, they get scared, they get nervous, or they feel like I’m being hounded by a million people so they don’t reach out. But if anything it has shown me what I don’t want to be. We are supposed to be there for each other, to be the body of Christ and mourn with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice. We should be investing in each other’s lives and pouring in regardless of how tired we are, how busy we get, or how consumed with our own lives we get. 

I am totally guilty of this! I have talked the talk plenty of times without so much as sending a Facebook message to my friend in need. I know now how that feels and it sucks. It really isn’t how God called us to be. Especially as Christians we should be practicing selfless love. I have been challenged by the kindness of people and I have realized that it means the world to me for you to take the time to reach out to me even if it’s just a Facebook message. I hope you walk away from reading this with the same conviction that I’ve had, be there. Don’t say you’re a friend and don’t say you’re a brother or sister in Christ unless you are going to be there. You wouldn’t not make time for your brother if he was in need, it’s no different in the community of believers. I have an obligation as a sister in Christ to be there for those of you in need regardless of my time, my needs, or the status of our relationship. I want you to hold me accountable and I also want you to challenge yourself. If you are one of those people who have been absent in the time of need, whether it be your friend, me, your Mom, or your brother or sister in Christ, take the time right now to walk the walk.