Motivate Me Monday

I have been humbled this week. For the past few years I have been joining a dear friend of mine in prayer for her sister. She has been battling cancer for many years. She has decided to stop fighting.

I haven't been feeling good, off and on, since Thanksgiving. It feels like morning sickness, but 4 pregnancy tests later, I'm still not pregnant. This past week has been rough.

And then I reread this:

My beautiful wife has been battling breast cancer for just over five years now. She was originally diagnosed in November of 2003 and went through chemotherapy and radiation treatment following her mastectomy and reconstruction.

In the summer of 2005 the doctors discovered metastases (spreading) of the cancer to her spine and lung.

Bravely she fought the cancer with several different chemotherapy regimens (including an experimental trial through a cancer center that gave her several months of comfortable active life while still holding the cancer at bay). Additionally, she went through numerous surgeries including Pleurodesis on both lungs (removal of fluid and sealing of the pleural space to prevent additional pleural effusion) and kidney stents to drain fluid, and far more needle pokes than anyone should have to endure. All along, she has been brave and had a good sense of humor. Her loving team of Cancer doctors and nurses have been providing her with exceptional care in an incredibly personal and supportive environment.

After three-and-a-half years of fighting the metastatic cancer, with the loving support of her family, doctors and nurses, my wife has decided to stop actively battling the cancer and is now in the in-home hospice care program through Hospice, Inc. Her goal and the goal of her family and friends is comfort and peace and happiness in the home she loves. She is resting comfortably with pain and other symptoms under control.

We welcome and need the words of encouragement, thoughts and prayers from our entire circle of support.

My heart was broken. This was posted by her husband on her Hospice Homepage. I was trying to think of the "right" thing to say, but what can one say? This woman is 39. That is only 10 years older than I am. Her life should only just be beginning, and instead, it is ending.

I wrote to my friend. But what could I say? My friend's faith is amazing, and right now I am amazed by her strength.

This is what she wrote to me:

Your kindness brings tears to my eyes. Death is hard and many don't
know what to say or to say anything. I soooo appreciate your thoughts
and prayers. Yes, please post on your blog. I believe in the power
of prayer. Even if the miracle we want doesn't happen, we pray for
my sister's comfort---this includes her pain and her ability to eat and
not throw up. She had many problems today with eating. Poor pumpkin!
I am flying out again on Thursday. The time we have been
given to really say goodbye has been a blessing.

So, here I sit. Feeling a little sick to my stomach, but knowing that I will get better. Please join me in praying for this young woman. We know the power of prayer, and although God may not heal her body physically, we can take comfort in knowing that He will heal her completely.

I posted the lyrics to Casting Crown's Praise You In This Storm on the Hospice page. I think I posted them more as a reminder for myself than as encouragement for her family. If you have a second, I would encourage you to watch the video and really meditate on the words.

For more Motivate Me Monday posts, head over to Like a Warm Cup of Coffee.