A Good Report...

God is good all the time, all the time God is good...

Even as we journey through trials and hard places in life... Yes, God is STILL good! He's still in charge and still is Master of our lives.

This has been a tumultuous week for me. Again, I had to endure the process of "cancer or cancer free".

Thursday I was scheduled for my quarterly Cystoscopy and biopsies. Always, with the negative thought trying to invade my mind, "will they find invasive cancer this time?"

• 5:25 am Up and getting Bud (husband) ready and off to work.
• 6:25 am Good Bye Kiss, Bud tells me, "I love you and you know I've been praying for you and will be thinking about you today." I observe the "worried" look behind his expression. He's going to work this morning and will be back around 11:30 am to take me to the hospital.
• 6:30 am I sit in my recliner reading and trying to calm my mind. Jesus and I have a wonderful conversation. I am assured that all is in HIS HANDS and nothing is going to happen to me that is not His Will. We will go through this together, Hand in Hand!
• 8:00am The craving for my morning coffee (I can do without the FOOD... just give me my coffee!!!) is strong... I have to get up and DO something to avoid the Caffeine URGE!
• 9:00 am The URGE passes...
• 10:45 am Start to get my things ready... pack my little black bag.
• 11:00 am Shower, fix hair... and I'm ready to go when Bud gets here.
• 11:30 am Bud's home and changes clothes, grabs his Bible and a book.
• 12:15 pm Dad, Mom, Bud and I have prayer and we're off for the hospital's Same Day Surgery Department.
• 12:45 pm Nurse calls and says can I come in NOW... he's got an early opening. YES, I want this over with... "I'm in the parking lot now... will be up in 10 minutes."

And thus the day goes on... I was back in the preliminary surgery area and the man next to me was having a complete Cystectomy done and the bed across from me was have a Nephrectomy. I am lying there calmly, basking in the love of Jesus and feeling his peace enfolding me with the comfort I need for this circumstance of life!

I hate to be anesthetized! I don't like NOT being in control of my person! But once the injection... I quickly fall asleep.

• 3:30 pm I peek out from under my heavy eyelids... "Yes!!! ...I'm still among the living."

When I'm finally able to answer questions, the nurse asked... "Do you want something to drink?" "YES...strong black coffee!" And she brings it to me, "Freshly brewed." Ummm, so good! Could this be a sin? :) I sincerely hope not!

Finally, I'm back in the room and they are getting me ready to leave in an hour or so. I'm not nauseated this time... wonderful! I feel pretty good... Actually, I feel wonderful! It's GOOD NEWS... the surgeon did find a small spot... feels he got it all and took the usual biopsies of different areas of the bladder. Told Bud he felt all is well... and nothing to worry about!

• 5:45 pm HOME... home never looked so good to me! Bud fixed a wonderful dinner of yellow squash, corn on the cob, carrots, peppers, cabbage, candied sweet potatoes, and Italian meatballs. It really is a pleasing combination... :D

Yes, God is good all the time. Even had I received a BAD report... God would still have been there... and He still would have been GOOD! He is ever present with us!

PS ~ A bit of humor: While getting ready for surgery... the nurse told me that I would have to take off my hairpiece! :D Bud quickly told her that was NOT a hairpiece. You could see the look of disbelief in her eyes. So, I took out the two clips holding my hair up and down it fell... she said... "Oh my gawd...that really is all yours." :D

Saturday Evening Muse

Originally written April 2006 for Heart2Heart Women's Ministries.

Fear Not and Hold Your Peace

“... Fear not, stand still (firm, confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will work for you today...The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest.” Exodus 14:13-14 (Amplified)

How many times have you been in a circumstance and the above scripture would have been an excellent reminder to “...hold your peace”...? I know, I can think of a few times in my life L when I really needed that reminder.

It’s so easy for us to take “the matter” into our own hands and not let God do it His Way! We are such impatient creatures and we think nothing is happening or nothing is being done about a certain situation... but we just aren’t in a place to view the whole picture, are we?

Yet, there are times when we do take a stand and attack the enemy head on and resist his efforts!

“So be subject to God.—Stand firm against the devil; resist him and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 (Amplified)

We are not to fear, but to STAND STILL and see what God can and will do! He is working for our good, not our destruction! He will fight our battles... but we have to allow Him to do so! We can’t wait until the last minute, and we do, then say ok God... clean up this mess I’ve made! Surprisingly, there are many times that He does just that for us! Isn’t God full of Mercy and longsuffering towards us?

My Prayer: O God, be my guide today! Lead me in the direction that You chose for me. Help me not to stray from the path that You have set before me. Keep me close to Your side and let me hear Your voice. In Jesus’ name.

Heart2Heart Women’s Ministries © 2004 – 2006 Pamla K Childers (Heart for Truth Ministries) All rights reserved