In 2019, I kept thinking of 2020 as something to do with vision. When you have an eye exam, 20/20 is defined as perfect vision.
None of us could have envisioned what 2020 would hold.
With everything stripped away, how is your vision? We have lost social contact in person, family visits, going to church services, going anywhere...sporting events, movies, dinner, lunch, vacations, travel. Even driving for awhile. With all of this stripped away, are we able to see more clearly? Can we see with eternal vision?
One thing I have seen during this time is gifts from so many people. Here is a card where a dear prayer partner sent us a visual illustration of a prayer chain she has praying for me, people I have never, ever met. I cried. A blind evangelist is praying for me because he "sees" the importance and power of prayer! He knows that "faith... is the evidence of things we cannot see". (Hebrews 11:1)
The Bible is rich on "sight" or vision concepts.
How timely is this one??!!
"So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." 2 Corinthians 4:18
"The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
"God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11
Update:
Chemo last time was delayed by a week because my neutrophils, the “soldiers” in my white blood cells which fight infection, had tanked. After five days of hormone shots in the belly (by Steve), the neutrophil and white blood cell levels shot through the roof to way higher than normal, which the doctor said was okay. The response was phenomenal. So chemotherapy was finally on Thursday the 4th of June until 9pm, which was exhausting. As per usual, the first week or two is really rough. For a while, many foods taste terrible and even water tastes strange. The body aches are significant, especially in my feet. A few days ago, I couldn't imagine doing this two more times. But I'm abundantly grateful that I still have no nausea. Chemo is scheduled for Thursday 25 June and then again Thursday 16 July, which would be my final one if there are no more delays.
Please pray that:
--chemo does not need to be delayed again.
--the chemo kills every single cancer cell (and does as little damage to everything else as possible).
--God will be glorified through all that I say and do in this entire process.
--people would "see" Jesus through us and be drawn to Him
I need this reminder at this time:
You [God] saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed. Psalm 139:16
Thank you dear friends for caring, for carrying us through your compassion, gifts, cards, acts of service, love, and prayers.
We are on strict government health service “shielding”/lockdown/isolation instructions until at least August due to my active chemotherapy. Open our eyes, Jesus! May we see what You are doing and what You want to do through us, but especially that we see Your heart, Your character.
PS. Celebrating Steve's 56th :) Plus a lemon polenta cake with lemon curd, both of which we made together. His favourite.