"For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs."
~Zephaniah 3:17
Every person's life is a story ~ a living story. Chapters open and close with moments of sorrow mingled with great joy. When we share our stories, it's a lot like peeling an onion. We share one layer at a time ~ there is no rush or timeline for peeling back each layer. But, it does require vulnerability to share your story with a trusted friend, coach, or counselor.
We may have shared our story in the past, only to find our confidence betrayed. Or, we may fear what the other person may think about us if we reveal that one thing. But don't give up ~ the benefits of sharing our stories outweigh the risks ~ every single time.
So today I am sharing just one layer of that onion from my living story. This weekend marks nine years of living cancer-free. Nine years ago my thoughts were filled with fear of the unknown, and my heart seemed to bubble over with all sorts of messy emotions. My own mortality hit me square in the face, and I honestly didn't feel ready to confront that challenge. So, one step at a time I processed through the cancer journey and now.... I am ready to celebrate!
But here are 7 (Seven is the perfect number of completion in God's Word) simple but profound lessons I learned in the last 9 years of my living story:
1. Cancer, just like all of life, is not black and white.
2. It takes time to learn how to live in the gray. Jesus helps us with that.
3. There is no truer test of a spouse's love and commitment than his willingness to listen, listen, and
listen some more.
4. Resilience is a muscle that we can develop. Crisis or trauma helps that muscle grow.
5. Tears can be very cleansing.
6. We can let others in. They can help us ~ we don't always have to be in control.
7. We can hold Sorrow and Joy simultaneously.
So... what is your living story? Find someone or a couple of someones who will peel back a layer of that
onion with you. When we share our pain, our distress lightens. When we share our celebrations, our joy multiplies.
