About this blog

I was diagnosed with breast cancer on June 11, 2010. As a result of my treatment, I have lymphedema in my left arm. I draw my strength from the Lord, as well as my family's Scots-Irish heritage. Our Graham's were a tough and scrappy bunch of fighters on the Scottish/English border. They came to America and continued to fight when necessary: in the American Revolution; the Civil War; and my brother is a Captain in the U.S. Army. My ancestors settled this country against all odds. My great-grandmothers on both sides of the family were pioneer women who settled the West. Along with that heritage, and the full armor of God, I am walking the walk and fighting the good fight.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Come, all who are burdened...

I'm in Catalina right now. Eric decided to bring his laptop, so I'm taking advantage of it to record some thoughs I had in the middle of the night last night

I woke up at 1 a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep. Par for the course, except that usually happens around 4 a.m. I didn't want to be up for the day after only 3 hours of sleep. I tossed and turned for about 30 minutes and then decided to get my iPhone and listen to some of the relaxation podcasts I had downloaded. They are supposedly for coping with breast cancer.

There was one called "The Gift." In it, she directs you to think of a place where you feel safe. I tried to visualize what it looks like when I feel like I am in God's arms. I think of it as being "in the shelter of the shadow of His wings." There are numerous references to this place in Scripture. God is also my strong tower, a shelter in the storm. But what would that practially look like? I didn't have a chance to think about it too much because the podcast went on. She directs you to imagine a person that you respect and admire. Instantly, Jesus popped into my mind. This person comes towards you and gives you a hug. Okay, that one is easy for me to imagine. After awhile, this person gives you a gift. It is something that you need to get through your difficult situation.

What gift would Jesus give me to help me cope with what I'm going through? In the short term, I need rest. But as I thought about it, the obvious answer came. The gift He has given me is eternal life--the power over death. By His death on the cross on my behalf, I am brought into fellowship spiritually with God. That started the second I put my faith in Him and will last forever. The body that I am in now will die. Whether it is from cancer or being hit by a bus in a week. But that abudant relationship that I have with God and other believers will never die. Cancer cannot win. Jesus fought the battle for my soul. It is finished.

After the podcast, I continued to ponder these things. A verse came to mind: "Come, all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) I repeated that over and over in my mind. Every time I thought about how I was unable to sleep, I would repeat that verse in my mind. Over and over. I eventually drifted off to sleep. I realize now that Jesus gave me the short term gift I needed in the middle of the night. Thank you Jesus!

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