"... I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." ~Jeremiah 31:3
Anniversaries, milestones, markers in time ~ we all have them. Today I am celebrating an anniversary, a milestone, a marker in my own life. Today marks eight years of remaining cancer-free. It is a day for celebrating, remembering, and reflecting. But most of all it is a day for gratitude. At the start of my cancer journey I had no idea what might happen. Would I need chemotherapy, would my marriage be the same, would I be the same? The answer to all three of those questions was no. But the answers did not come without pain and waiting. What happened within the pain and during the waiting?
God scooped me up in His loving, faithful arms and carried me through the journey one step at a time. There were surgeries, genetic testing, genomic profiling of my tumor, and treatment decisions. There were tears, questions, fear, and grief. But He never left me alone in the waiting. He offered unfailing kindness through the love of my family and friends, with good news along the way, and most of all with His unshakeable Presence.
What did He do after the dust settled? He redeemed the pain in both big and small ways. He made my marriage even more loving and beautiful than before my cancer. He reminded me daily of His everlasting love whether it was through the antics of our dogs or in the smile of a stranger. He put people in my path who I could serve and love. He planted the seed to return to school and become a counselor. He did what only He can do. He took a dark, frightening season and used it for His purposes and glory.
What painful journey are you on right now? It may be difficult to see any beauty or goodness on your path at the present moment. But He is there, right in the middle of the loss, the fear, the suffering. He will never forsake or abandon you. He is working even when you cannot see or imagine what He could possibly do with your pain. There is an anniversary, a milestone, a marker in time for your journey. There will be beauty and purpose in the middle of your pain and loss. He loves you with a love that lasts forever, and He helps you come closer to Him with His loving kindness.