Many years ago our beloved fifteen-year old granddaughter, Tiffany, was diagnosed with 4th stage Hodgkin Lymphoma cancer. Tiff who was at that time leading a Bible Study for her peers … began a journey, which was to include chemo, radiation, and finally remission. Two years later she was diagnosed once again with cancer, this time with Leukemia. Her only recourse was to receive a bone marrow transplant. Oct 3, 2003 Tiff began a 3½-month sojourn in Doernbecher Children’s hospital in Portland, Oregon that would end Jan. 24th, 2004 with her graduation to heaven. I would be beside myself if I did not know I would see Tiffany again! But when she was 8 years old she had given her life to Christ at my dining room table! I had been doing the homework for my Bible Study and the lesson told how you could know God in a personal way. I shared this with Tiffany who had been setting watching me as I worked on my lesson. She very simply and easily accepted Jesus as her personal Savior! Hours later as we were riding down the road in my car, I looked over and saw tears sliding down Tiff’s cheeks. I said “Oh honey, why are you crying?” She said in a voice just above a whisper, “Oh grandma, it should have been 'me' on the cross!” As young as she was she had understood that Jesus had stood in her place on the cross paying the penalty for her sins so she could stand in His place forgiven. Tiff was a new creation!
Years later as her cancer progressed she had surrendered herself and the disease to Christ for whatever that was to mean! Do I miss her? You bet, more than life itself! But now she knows personally, what we only can experience by faith!
During my journey with God I have seen good things and what often “appear” as bad things, intersect in our lives. But I am learning through them ALL to “be still and know that God is in control” Then I am able to experience God’s peace even in the storm. His word that says I will never, no never, no never, leave or forsake you has become my anchor and stay! I don’t know about tomorrow, but I do KNOW God holds my hand, and He is in charge of the journey now…
Gone but NEVER forgotten!
ReplyDeleteIn our deepest, and hardest times in life are those moments when God lifts us up and He wants us to use those times to bless others with our testimony. No one said life would be easy, we just have to keep leaning on God and He WILL see us through them.
ReplyDeleteNever in a million years did I see my mom dying. She was an amazing grandma to her 4 grand children. In fact, there were moments I thought they loved her more. I learned so much about death and the beauty in it, and that will live with me forever. I learned that even through our hardest pain, God has a lesson in it for us to learn.
God continues to show me that HE is in control and that my plans are usually never His~and I have to trust in Him. Sometimes its not easy because I want to take control, however when I give it over to Him and leave it there~I am always surprised to see how beautifully His plans are orchestrated and they're always better then mine!
God bless you!
xo Maria