LOVE

The theme of yesterday was love--unmistakably. Beautiful bouquets of fragrant flowers announced all day the love of those who sent them. Chuck, my sister, my cousin and I spent all afternoon together, surrounded and filled with love. We visited some friends from our long-ago shared past who now live in a retirement center a few miles away, and we felt their love for us. Cards received over the past few days are reminders of the senders' love. Phone calls from early morning until bedtime all declared, "I love you." Our Sunday School lesson was based on the book of Jonah, focused on God's intense and forgiving love for the wicked and violent people of Nineveh. And the pastor's sermon from John 15 emphasized Jesus' wish for His followers: "This is My command, that you love one another."

I do feel built up by love as I go for chemo #7 today. I would so much like to be done with this chapter. As always, we pray for God to guide the chemicals to find and destroy each cancer cell. I decided this morning on a new plan of faith action. Just as we have a habit of bowing to thank God at the start of each meal, I will lift up a prayer each time I swallow one of my nutritional supplements, giving thanks for it and asking God to use it to defeat the cancer from the inside out. (I don't know why I didn't think of praying like that sooner.)

Lisa's colleague, for whose chemo we've prayed, is now finished with chemo and will have restorative surgery today (colorectal). I'm asking the Lord to fully restore her to health. (We haven't met yet, but we've become good e-mail friends.)

Thanks for your prayers.
Carol