Life is a Gift
The baby is my nephew, born just 3 days ago. His life is nothing short of miraculous! A year ago, doctors were telling my sister and her husband that they would probably not be able to conceive a child without medical intervention. Discouraged, they shared their journey with our church and asked for prayer. Days before starting treatments, my sister received a phone call from a nurse. She stated that they could not continue with the planned treatments...because she was pregnant!!
After a few complications at the end of her pregnancy, doctors wanted my sister to be induced at 37 weeks. The induction was progressing slowly, when suddenly, the baby's heart rate dropped and doctors could not get it to rise again. They whisked my sister into the OR and my nephew was born minutes later. The doctors indicated that it was a miracle that he survived his traumatic birth.
And that beautiful grandma in the picture? That's my mom. Exactly four years ago, March 3, 2010, she was undergoing major surgery at Hershey Medical Center. Weeks before my other sister's February wedding, my mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. There are 2 types of pancreatic cancer: the rare, treatable kind and the common, deadly kind. We didn't know which one she had and wouldn't know if the cancer was completely contained until after this surgery.
It's hard for me to go back to that day-refacing the fears of the unknown. I remember sitting around a table in the waiting area with my dad and grandparents while my mom underwent the 8 hour Whipple Procedure. (If you Google this, you will realize just how extensive and amazing this surgery is!) Trying to read, crochet, and chat...anything to keep my mind from worrying. During that time of waiting, God gave me Psalm 46 as a promise to hold onto:
Verse 1: God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Verse 2: Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way. Verse 5: God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Verse 7: The Lord Almighty is with us Verse 8: Come and see the works of the Lord. Verse 10: Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
By the grace of God, my mom came out of that surgery. Her cancer was the rare kind and completely contained! Four years ago we didn't know if my mom would live long enough to see more grandchildren be born, finish school, or see my brother marry. How awesome it is to see her life continue four years later with her fourth grandchild in her arms! My brother's wedding is just months away and last spring she graduated from college and now works as a physical therapy assistant, her way of giving back after much was given to her.
So, why do I share these testimonies with you? Sometimes it's just too easy to forget. It's so easy to take her life for granted and assume we'll always have her with us. But, remembering changes that. It makes me oh, so thankful that God knew He wasn't finished with her here on earth. It makes me cherish the time and memories with my family. It makes me cherish life. Life IS a gift. None of us know when God will call us home...we do not know how much time is left to spend with any of our loved ones.
I recently heard this saying that struck a chord with me: Our life is a gift from God. What we do with that gift is our gift to God. So, as you go through your day today, look at life through God's lenses. Love people, extend kindness, show Jesus, and cherish life.
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