Farewell "Party"

This is a piece of art I hope you never get to see... in person. This nature scene is now a special piece of my story.

Put your left ear on your left shoulder and stare at the picture.

Do you see it? With your head on your shoulder where the fourth tree meets the horizon you will see the cross.

APRIL 2018:

"Look," the technician said while pointing at my mammo, "See those tiny white specks that look like salt. They're having a party. We don't like to see white specks having a party." So, after receiving intel there was a sneaky party going on, I was told I needed a biopsy.

This beautiful photograph is hanging in a biopsy room at the Edith Sanford Breast Center. Since the area being biopsied was within the left breast, I spent a good chunk of time rotating and repositioning from my belly and left side while the health professionals worked a LONG time to get me "situated" to bust the "party". Apparently, it was in an undisclosed remote location because my simple proposed one hour biopsy took the entire morning because of the "party's" posterior position. I was staring at this photograph for a good chunk of that morning before the team relocated me to another room for a chair biopsy. Folks, it was not pretty. AWE, BUT GOD...

This whole situation was a sting. It was not fun. BUT, FAITH requires us to trust God. I drove myself to and from my biopsy that day but I wasn't alone. HE was there. While I was waiting and being the 'patient patient' (& that's what the health team called me), the professionals were doing their jobs (they were fantastic). I was looking at this beautiful piece of art and pondering a place of peace where fear doesn't exist through the power of the cross.

Did you ever think about how the first letter in the word trial looks like a cross? In this photo, the cross is dark like times when we are suffering; it's mysterious we are not all-knowing BUT HE is; and it also shows peace with the light shining through to break the darkness. Looking towards this cross during the biopsy helped me remember the POWER of the cross and my belief in God's power.

MAY 2019:

He 'fired' me as a patient! We mutually agreed we never wanted to see each other again as I cheerfully left the oncologist's office. Praise God! As I was walked into the elevator I had a 'prompting' to go a different direction and press the button for a floor other than the building's exit. I went back to where I had my biopsy because I kept thinking about this picture on the wall and how comforting it was to me. I wanted to see it again. The office was quiet it was 5:00 pm. I wondered if the room would even be open. God had it all planned out because no one was there but the receptionist. She kindly agreed to show me the art in the biopsy room again. (Thank you to the photographer that captured this serene scene that helped me remember Jesus is always near and HE promises to be there when we're waiting patiently in trials.)

I was so excited to write down what God had shown me through this piece of art and my trial and victory but was struggling for the words. I grabbed a Bible from the office shelf, a different version than I typically use- when one small piece of paper fell from it's pages and right into my hand. I had scribbled some notes on it from a lecture I heard at Bible Study Fellowship quite awhile ago. The words on the note said... "God's chosen cure is JESUS... Look at the Cross and believe in God's power. Have you looked up to Jesus?" It also said, "What chapter are you writing?" so I knew He was calling me to write about this.

Now, isn't that fitting?!? Oh God, thank you for your faithfulness, provision & VICTORY. He promises victory as we put our trust in HIM.

Have you looked up to Jesus in your difficult situation and remembered HIS POWER is bigger than your problem?

"Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping... He knows us far better than we know ourselves... that's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." Romans 8:28 MSG

P.S. The other farewell party I had this week was for my sister-in-Christ, Cathy Hofer. Thank you dear friend for being an encouragement and support the last eight years as the teaching leader in BSF. Enjoy this new season in your journey.