Our world is broken. We see the pain and suffering in our
cities and across the globe. I pray for our world and I pray that people would
see hope within the midst of suffering. This week our family got slammed with
our own suffering. It came after a beautiful week I had in Fort Collins,
Colorado with my son Noah and my husband Greg, plus my sister Karen and my mom
Ann. We were there to celebrate Noah’s 21st birthday and my mom’s 80th
birthday. It was perfect fall weather—windy and cold and the fall leaves were
all over the ground. It was the weekend of the lighting of all the trees in Old
Town where all the shops, pubs and restaurants are. It was truly magical—it looked
like we were surrounded with stars and snow. We ate well, hiked, toured the
campus, shopped, and shared lots of memories and made new ones together. It was
a weekend filled with love and laughter.
The day before I left for Colorado I had the biopsy on the
mass in my pelvic region. I was told I would hear the results in seven to ten
days. I headed to Colorado with my focus on hope and happiness with my family.
I didn’t want to think about the mass or the biopsy (but of course it was always
in my thoughts)—I just didn’t talk about it.
My week ended with a cancelled flight in Denver and an overnight stay
and a rescheduled flight that took me to Phoenix and then home, 24 hours later
than expected. While I was waiting in the airport, I received a call from my
oncologist’s office with a message saying that my doctor wanted to see me the
next day. I absolutely knew what that meant. I called my oncologist’s nurse and left a
message that said, “Hey I know what this means, and I have been down this road
so many times, so please call me back or have Dr. Reid call me back and just
give me the news.” After I left the message, I had to board my first flight to
Phoenix and couldn’t receive calls. When I got to Phoenix, I checked my phone
and my doctor had called. He said to call him back. At this point it was 8
pm and I was boarding another plane, but I knew--I absolutely knew that the mass
was cancer. I arrived home exhausted and on Tuesday morning (election day), I
called the nurse and said the same thing—to please just call me and give me the
news. She called me back within the hour and said that they usually don’t give
this news over the phone, but she and my doctor agreed that I have been down
this road so she told me. The official medical news is that the mass is “adenocarcinoma
consistent with original colon cancer.” In real people terms it means that the
mass is cancer that originated with my colon cancer. The mass is not on an
organ, but it is pushing against my kidney. I went into business mode and made the
needed appointments and then contacted my insurance company to make sure they
were approving it all. I now have two
appointments next week: one with my oncologist and one with the colon surgeon.
They will be giving me my treatment plan which I hope and pray is not
extensive. My mind is racing with thoughts of chemo, radiation, surgery—all which
I have been through before—and have much anxiety associated with all of them.
Now
I sit in the waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Something that I am not good
at—this waiting. It is hard for me, but I have learned much about waiting these
past five years. Waiting means trusting. Trusting God that He knows even when I
don’t. I will admit that it is hard to trust God in this. This will be round
four of cancer in the past five years. It is unrelenting. I struggle to pray for strength and hope. I
don’t have it on my own. I only receive the strength and hope from Jesus. I
know it is okay to scream out to God and pour my doubts and fears upon Him. He
knows. He suffered before me. He was mocked, misunderstood, abandoned by his
friends, beaten, and then crucified. But he
conquered all that with His resurrection. He conquered it for you and for me. He knows my pain and He
knows yours.
On the evening that I found out that the mass was cancer,
people poured into my home. Friends from church, my former church, my
neighborhood, our Poway community, my Young Life family. My house was filled to
the brim—people on the floor, in the kitchen, up the stairs, in the entry. Angela, Aaron and Wesley played guitars and led us in beautiful, precious worship.
We all sang together and cried out to the Lord. My friend Molly led the prayers and my friends interceded in prayer for me with so much love and hope and victory. I had
not cried the whole day, but the minute people started pouring into my house I couldn’t
stop crying. I cried the whole night. But it was a beautiful cry. It was crying
in my pain and suffering. It was also a crying of joy because I am surrounded
by this amazing community who overwhelms me with love. A crying of hope because I have a God who understands, who knows,
whose arms are around me in the midst of this horrible storm that I do not
understand. Beauty in the broken.
The next morning I had to take our sweet dog Moses to the
vet. He had been lethargic and not eating or drinking. The vet took X-rays and a blood panel and
showed me the film of the X-ray and told us he needed an ultrasound. She was
concerned about the fluid in his body and what looked like a mass on his
spleen. I was breathless and holding back the tears. I couldn’t look at another
scan with another mass. It was too much. So Greg took Moses to the ultrasound
and we received more horrible news. Moses has cancer in his liver and spleen
and has internal bleeding. It is inoperable and the vet said he may have
one-two weeks left. We had to come home and tell Micah and then call Noah in
Colorado. Two pieces of horrible news within two days. I seriously went numb. I
couldn’t pray or call out to God. Thankfully our sweet friend Terri had brought
us dinner and the three of us ate a delicious meal and talked together as a family.
After that I went into my room and got on my knees with my Bible and I told God
that I had no words. Then I sat in the waiting and the quiet. I went to God's Word. I went to
a familiar verse—one that I have read many times over the years.
Philippians 4:6-7
Don’t worry about
anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him
for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds
anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you
live in Christ Jesus.
I sat there and thanked God for who He is even though I don’t
understand all that I have gone through. He is still on the throne. He is still
majestic and holy. I believe that. I know that. He has shown me so much beauty
in the brokenness. So much joy amidst the pain.
The verse says to tell God what I need. So I told Him that I
need His peace. This peace is described as a peace that exceeds anything we can
understand. That is the peace I want.
Friends, would you join me in praying for peace? Not only
peace for me, but peace for many others who are suffering across the globe.
Peace for our nation. Peace for our world. Peace in our hearts.
I don’t know what is ahead of me until I meet with the
doctors next week. I am in the waiting. But amidst the waiting God has shown me
so much beauty in the broken. He is giving me glimpses of His glory. He is
giving me friends who stand in the gap when I cannot pray. He is giving me loving
friends who bring meals and who drop off flowers and cards. He is giving me text
messages from friends who are reaching out with love and hope. Friends who are
offering encouragement. He is giving me beauty in the love of my family and my
boys. We are all going through this together, but we see the beauty in the
broken. And we wait.
7 comments:
Kirsten, I was @ the Retreat with my church, The Bridge Calvary Chapel and got to hear you speak,in September! You were so amazing, us gals were so touched by your story and beautiful level of faith! Please know we continue to pray for you and your current journey as a Thriver! Thank you for being so open, we can just glimpse into a bit of what you are going through! Bless you��
Thank you for sharing. It is so sweet. I understand the intense suffering...having my daughter die while I was helpless to change it.
Thank you Kirsten for sharing with us! You are an Amazing example of a Child of God! I met and heard you speak at the Ladies retreat in Murrieta, I'm with the Bridge CC in Palm springs! My deepest sincere Prayers are with you today, Prayers of Peace coming your way for you and all your loved ones! Lifting you up to our Precious Lord and Healing in you quickly! Thank you Precious Sister in Christ! Good Bless you and Thank you for Blessing so many even through your own pain! ❤❤
Your old friend in Clayton is praying for your strength and peace Kirsten!
You have so much faith and love for God. It is truly inspiring. I'm sorry for your bad news again. I will pray for you. Praying that God will give you power beyond what is normal.
Carol Mckinley
Oh Kirsten, my heart is breaking, but your faith and strength is truly an inspiration. Stay strong and know that we are all with you in this long, hard journey. Sending all my love and prayers for you and your family 💕💕💕💕
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