We all sat tensely in the chilly hospital waiting room talking to each other, laughing uncomfortably, and periodically getting emotional yesterday. My dad, brothers and sisters, my favorite Aunt and I, were huddled together anticipating the completion of my mom Annie's Breast Cancer surgery. We settled in and prepared for the 3-hour wait the doctors told us the procedure would require.
In moments of silence we twiddled our thumbs; blankly gazed at the television screen mounted on the wall; looked down at the gray tiled floor; traded glances and sympathetic smiles with other families also waiting for news about their loved ones; and tried hard to stave off bad thoughts.
Understanding the gravity of the moment, we all did our best to hold it together and be strong for each other. As we all clung to our faith and the promises of healing laid out in God's word, still, the grave reality of the situation ominously loomed over us like a dark storm cloud. Competing with our knowledge of God's unfailing ability to heal all manner of diseases, were serious questions none of us had the answers to at that moment.
What will the surgeons find? How advanced is the Cancer? What kind of treatment options are we looking at? Did mom catch the lump in time to make her chances of survival more likely?
Not knowing felt more torturous with each passing second.
As my eyes scanned the room, they fell upon an older White woman chatting with her daughter who had broken down crying. As the daughter buried her red, tear-stained face in her hands, her mother sat silently and calmly. I was transfixed, for some reason, by this older woman's beautiful perfectly silver hair. It was tied back in a ponytail that hung down to her waist.
There were many moments spent people-watching, mindlessly chattering, and thinking.
After a while had passed, the door opened from the restricted area and a surgeon came walking out where we were with a smile. Only about an hour and a half had gone by, so our family watched to see where the doc was going. It seemed implausible that he would be making his way over to deliver an update on my mom so quickly.
But the implausible happened.
We all were stunned when he stopped in front of my father, Joe, to share the details of my mother's condition. You should have seen our eyes stretch wide as we sat erect and stiff as boards in our seats!
"It's good news!" he said. Those three words shifted the atmosphere in the room. We breathed a sigh of relief, but still listened attentively for more details. As the news unfolded, it just got better and better.
The Breast Cancer had not spread to any of mom's lymph nodes, or any other place in her body. The surgeon was able to extract the cancerous lump and determine that the disease is in Stage 1, the earliest possible stage.
Oh glory to God!
We learned that our family is dealing with a best case scenario here. And mom will be fine.
After receiving the surgeon's report, my family, as well as the other families in the waiting room who did not know us, celebrated! We were all bonded together in joy; it felt as if a weight had been lifted off each of us. My aunt danced down the hallway and began speaking in tongues. It was a real moment.
"Praise the Lord!" said the woman with the silver coif--the same one I had been watching earlier. I later discovered that, she too, is a believer.
Before leaving the hospital, I stopped to tell her how beautiful her hair was. She smiled and thanked me, and then told me this. "I used to wear my hair short a few years back, but I decided to let it grow out. Today, I am here to donate my hair."
"Wow!" I responded. "That's so awesome. Someone who needs it will be so blessed to receive your gorgeous hair."
As I walked away, I thought about how, over the next few months during treatment, there is a high probability that my mom will lose her hair from the chemotherapy. But, just as that sweet stranger with the lovely locks was moved to donate her hair to someone in need, God will send everything my mom needs during this trying season.
In fact, the Lord has already begun revealing His goodness through others. So many of you have prayed and extended yourself to my family in numerous ways, and I am beyond grateful.
Today, although the journey through my mother's treatment is not complete, I am beside myself with joy and thanksgiving! God has smiled upon our family by allowing my dear mother to discover that lump in her right breast early, even before the doctors could detect it through testing.
Isn't He so good?
Last night, as I sat next to my mom as she was lying in bed at home, I said, "Hey, I bet this is the best 'bad news' you've ever gotten!"
We shared a laugh and then she lifted her hand and said, "Ooh, thank you Jesus!"
It could have been so much worse... but God!
TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for sustaining me through the hard times and assuring me that You have already provided for every need. And even when I receive bad news, I am confident that You will grant me the best outcomes because Your word says in Romans 8:28 that all things work together for the good of them who love You and are called according to Your purpose. In Jesus' name, Amen.
