BACK TO THE FUTURE
The following comes from Terry. She first spoke this to our congregation on Sunday and now has turned it into prose. It is her moving account of what she has experienced through the course of her illness.
When our kids were young we moved quite a bit and usually rented U-Haul to help us with the task. We always chuckled at the motto displayed on the trucks, "An Adventure In Moving." Well, over the past ten months I have had an adventure in cancer. There have been many insights, joys and transformations over these ten months. I want to share my latest with you.
As soon as the word got out about my cancer I began receiving an outpouring of gifts, cards, prayers and phone calls. It was both wonderful and overpowering. Not a day went by without the mail bringing me well wishes. I received numerous prayer shawls and gifts. And then...I began to receive comments on Facebook, cards, email etc. that were testimonial in nature. People began sharing with me the memories they had of me and what I meant to them in their lives. I began to feel like I was attending my own funeral - in a good way. I thought of it in this way for ten months. These were glimpses into my past. Reminders of what I had accomplished. I could leave this world and feel very good about it all. It was comforting and amazing at the same time. I did not think about what else was happening at the same time.
What was happening? I was experiencing a loss of self. I was too sick and too focused on treatments and recovery to think about anything else. I could not dream about the future anymore - which had been a hallmark of my life all along. I was busy focusing on the present. I could no longer remember who I was.
Last week we were invited to a fundraising banquet for a local, wonderful, nonprofit - SONS. I rejoiced that I flet well enough (one month after conclusion of chemo treatments) to attend and to eat everything offered. I did not know I was about to eat the bread of life too. The theme for the evening was: Back to the Future. Over the course of the evening I began my transformation. It concluded for me on Sunday morning with my husband's sermon. Here is the new thought: I was not experiencing a foretaste of my own funeral. That is not what people were really doing. What they actually were doing was holding my "self" until I could take it back. They were holding my dreams for me. They were holding my goals and ministry until I was well enough to hold them once again for myself. I began to see my future...I began to remember who I really was. I began to let go of being a sick person with cancer. I want to thank you all for this tremendous gift. You have not only walked with me on my path of physical healing, but, more importantly, you have walked with me on my path of spiritual healing and calling. I thank you for that.
Last night Dave and I attended a district youth rally. The dream is once again alive. We sang and bopped around and encouraged kids and played and celebrated Christ in our midst and our love for God. I'm back from my adventure with cancer. I am picking up myself. I am dreaming new dreams. Thank you all.
The following is a thank you gift to everyone who helped us during this time. We commissioned a song from Ken Medema. It is called A HEART FELT THANK YOU. Enjoy. - Dave Gladstone