YOU HAVE A MASS

YOU HAVE A MASS

Every year I have a C-Scan on the follow-up of my cancer; for ten years everything has come out great; but this year was different.  I received a call from my doctor’s nurse who said that my cat-scan showed a mass in the intestinal area and that she had made an appointment with a surgeon for the following day.  My appointment was at 3:00 p.m. and at 4:30 the surgeon’s nurse said that she was called into surgery.  She gave me another appointment two days off.  Two days to worry, to pray.

This time I got to see the surgeon.  She wanted to do a colonoscopy the next morning.  For the rest of that day I only drank water and go-go juice to clean me out.  Lord help me, it was horrible!  Lord help me…. That was something I said over and over again since I got the first call.  I couldn’t have cancer again!  

The colonoscopy showed some problems I’ll have to deal with but no cancer.   The surgeon ordered another cat-scan after the colonoscopy to check to see if the mass found earlier was still there.  The radiologist read the scan as soon as it was completed and guess what------NO MASS was there.  Praise God for He does wonderful miracles.

Psalm 103 verses 2 and 3 says it best: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases…”

The other medical issues that were found I can deal with, but God knew what I was able to handle and spared me of dealing with cancer again by granting me a miracle.  Thanks be to God!


3/27/06

TRUE FRIENDS

TRUE FRIENDS

Share their life experiences and stories.  Paul wrote to the Philippians (4:9) “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you.”

Christians have an inner fear of being judged by others, especially by other Christians.  But from what Paul shares is what Jesus Christ has done in his life and that whatever his friends have learned from his experiences; they are welcome to use it in their life to help them get through rough times.  

God calls us to share how He has worked in our lives through His Son, Jesus Christ.  If we hold back with our sharing our life experiences, I believe that we disappoint God.  He loves us so much that He wants and depends on us to share our Christian experiences with those in need.  I was very fortunate to have the opportunity of having a Minister of the Word and Sacraments who knew how to share his life experiences from the pulpit every Sunday, Reverend Richard Meyer of Omaha, Nebraska.  A colleague that knows both Richard and I shared with me that Richard was one minister he knew who was willing to “bleed” in front of his congregation by sharing his life experiences through Jesus Christ.

God isn’t asking us to “bleed” in front of our friend(s) that need to hear our life experiences; He just wants us to share without any embellishments exactly just what God do in your life.  I pray that you will be able to emulate Paul.  Trust me, the more you do it, the easier it gets!  God Bless You in your endeavors.

3/13/06

LORD HELP ME

LORD, HELP ME


I read the following prayer in the Presbyterian Planning Calendar 2005-2006.  It is for me a modern take off on the Prayer of St. Francis of Assissi.  It was written by Marian Wright Edelman (1943-present) who is founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund.  She is a lawyer, educator, reformer and children’s advocate, she was the first African American woman admitted to the Mississippi state bar.

This is a quote from her book: Guide My Feet:  Prayers and Mediations for Our Children, Beacon Press, Boston, MA 1995.

“Lord, help me to persist although I want to give up.
Lord, help me to keep trying although I can’t see what good it does.
Lord, help me to keep praying although I’m not sure You hear me.
Lord, help me to keep living in ways that seek to please You.
Lord, help me to know when to lead and when to follow.
Lord, help me to know when to speak and when to remain silent.
Lord, help me to know when to act and when to wait.”

If every Christian throughout the world would start each day with this prayer, what a difference there would be in the world.  I thank God for giving this prayer to Marian Wright Edelman and for her courage to write it.


3/11/06