That’s me!
Welcome to my world! Pardon my mess, I’m under construction! I’ve been wrecked (Thanks, Jeff Goins, for that analogy!) My world’s been turned upside-down! You get the picture! I’m a daughter, wife, mother, Grammee, and basically, a Hermit! I love my family and friends, I enjoy my church and job, but I long for peace and more solitude.
Like everybody, I’ve had some bumps in the road – my own cancer diagnosis, cancer treatments, body-altering surgery. And I continue to encounter bumps along the way – my dad’s cancer and death, among other things. But I refuse to let the cancer, or any life circumstances, define who I am or how I live my life. I have hope for the future – for eternity – but I also have hope for today! I celebrate life, not just in spite of cancer (or any other life circumstance, for that matter), but because of it! I’m a survivor, but I want to be more than that … I strive to be a Thriver! And HOPE is what keeps me striding down life’s bumpy road!
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not a Pollyanna, pie-in-the-sky, always smiling, giddy, goofy girl. I get mad when things don’t go my way. I cry when I’m sad, I bleed when I’m cut, and, dare I say, I cuss when I’m frustrated and angry. But when I get beyond those emotions, and find myself still traveling that bumpy road, I still have the stamina to keeping going – not just trudging along, but enjoying the journey! There’s more to life than today with all its disappointments and frustrations; or yesterday with all its regrets; or tomorrow with all its unknowns. Life, even with all its bumps and issues, is filled with joy and peace and contentment and HOPE!
Hope is what kept me going during my cancer diagnosis and treatments. Hope is what held our family together as we cared for my dad during his final months. Hope is what keeps me on track when life gets chaotic and crazy. Not the hope that wishes life didn’t hurt, or the hope that yearns for riches and easy street. But the hope that comes from knowing, confidently knowing, that there’s more to life than the hurts or riches or pain or power.
Hope is more than saying “It’s God’s will” or “There’s a reason for everything” … when I’m facing cancer or death or disappointment or frustration, I can’t always understand God’s will or see the reason. But I KNOW that God is in control, that He loves me more than anyone else does, and that He will see me through anything that life throws at me. I may not know why those bumps are in the road, but I do know who my traveling companion is! That is the HOPE that I’m talking about. And it can be your hope too!
Hope isn’t something I picked up at the store, or whipped up in the kitchen, or conjured up from my imagination. Hope began as a tiny spark, a little flicker. Maybe it started when, as a child, I saw it in my parents when they faced challenges with courage. Maybe it was something I learned in Sunday school as I heard stories of prophets anticipating a Messiah. Maybe I read about it in the bible or some inspirational book that told of people overcoming obstacles and impossible odds. Wherever it started, hope burned bright and beautiful when I faced cancer. And it grew as it was fueled by circumstances that tumbled into my life. The more life tossed at me that I couldn’t control, the more my hope grew – not some flare-up for the momentary situation, but a low-burning, bed of embers that encouraged me during each trial and sustained me long afterwards, preparing me for the next unexpected bump in the road!
I wish I could bottle HOPE and pass it out to others who are struggling with life’s bumpy road, but it doesn’t work that way! However, I can share what I’ve discovered on my journey, and offer some encouragement and a reason for you to hope on your journey, in spite of the potholes and pitfalls you may encounter. Join me as I share my struggles, failures, successes, and HOPE along this bumpy road we call LIFE!
In spite of the twists and turns, ups and downs, I remain … in His presence,
Blanche