In 2011, Momma was diagnosed with late stage ovarian cancer.  As my Daddy said, “Of all people…she is the last one you would expect to get cancer…”  Mom is “clean-living” no drinking, never smoked, eats healthy, exercises, with no family history of this kind of cancer.  But this is the Truth that she taught me to love, from my childhood.:

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
Ps 139:13-16

As I shared yesterday, one night during the week before her diagnosis, when we were all oblivious to CAT scans and chemo, Momma couldn’t sleep. So she was praying. She heard her name and she thought of Samuel, who’d heard from the Lord as a child, and she answered, “Yes Lord, your servant is listening”. She keeps a pad of paper by the bed and she wrote down what she heard: I am about to do something BIG in your life so that you will be starting a new ministry and have a great opportunity to glorify Me. So be ready.  And at the time, I prayed for her healing and for her rescue, but I also prayed for her to use this opportunity to glorify God well.  That was one of Momma’s biggest worries, that she would not bring glory to the Lord during this difficult process.  I think anyone who knows her could attest to the fact that she did bring glory to Him; she made His Name famous.  

And she would tell you too that He schooled her during this time.  As she sought Him, He instructed her and comforted her and carried her too.

For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
guarding the paths of justice
and watching over the way of his saints.
Proverbs 2:6-8

So, I asked her to give me a list of what she learned from this cancer experience.  As usual, she is humble and honest.  I will share this 12-point list over two days.  I hope it will bless you and cause you to reflect on your own life, as it did for me.  Here is what Mommasaid:

• Sometimes the Lord calls us to go through hard times to bring Him glory.
• He truly never leaves and never forsakes us.
• Psalm 23 is true. I learned to trust Him with everything, including my life.
• The prayers of the saints are powerful. I could feel them.
• I found peace in the midst of the process.
• There is a battle that goes on in my mind. I learned to distinguish between the voice of the Lord which lines up with scripture, Satan, and my own sinful nature. I had to fight a spiritual battle against worry and concern for the future (like would the chemo work, what was life going to be like with surgery, treatments, etc.). Those thoughts could make me crazy! I was not in control, the Lord was. So over and over, I surrendered to His will, whatever that may be. He showed me my responsibility for my thought life. I can choose to listen to the thoughts of doubt, worry, pity, etc. or I can take my thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.  Of course, the Holy Spirit will come and help me do this. The choice is mine, do I trust the Lord or not. I don’t want to be found in unbelief or doubting the promises of the Lord. I want the Lord to be on the throne of my life.

More tomorrow from Momma.  So glad you are getting to “meet her”  I just know how you’d love her if you met her in person!