We’re Still Standing on the SPOT!!!!
We’re Still Standing on the SPOT!!!!
“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7,8
Living in Oklahoma, we know what winds, lightning, and even ice can do to a tree. The winds threaten to uproot the tree and carry it away. The lightning and the ice breaks off branches. And when the storm is over, whether it’s a summer storm or a winter ice storm, things can look quite hopeless for that tree.
Yet, if we look closer; the same storm that opened crevices in the earth around the trunk of the tree helped the roots go deeper. And now, the tree has access to new, deeper sources of nutrition and water. And it has been purged of all its dead branches. We witnessed that with a tall tree in our own yard. When last winter’s ice storm stripped the tree of so many of its largest branches, our next door neighbor asked if we were going to take that tree down. It looked as if that tree would surely die, but we determined to wait and sure enough, this summer, that tree has returned to full foliage and even more beautiful than before.
We can certainly relate to those trees. We’ve been in some pretty intense “faith challenging” storms in the last several months. Ron has been in and out of the hospital five times, had five surgeries, two serious infections, not to mention other complications that had to be dealt with. The winds have been blowing hard, shaking us violently, and making us wonder if we’re going to make it. But, we remember our confessions of faith at the onset of this faith journey…..that we would stand on the spot where we said, “We know that Ron is healed! Just like the tree whose roots run deep….we’ve determined to not move from that spot.” And, at that spot, we have been nourished and strengthened in so many ways.
Our adventure has continued as Ron has begun treatment at the Cancer Treatment Center of America, a beautiful state-of-the-art facility located right here in Tulsa. People all over the country fly into CTCA for treatments and we’re blessed to live within 15 minutes of it. We have a tremendous group of physicians, nutritionists, therapists and technicians that are treating Ron with the “whole-man” attitude – nourishing his body, soul and spirit…..and, the most encouraging part, is that they believe in miracles. Ron enjoys playing the beautiful Steinway piano that is in the atrium of the facility. How beautiful to hear him play “Amazing Grace” and “Count Your Blessings” – sweet reminders of how good God is to us! Ron has had four radiation treatments now (8 more in the next 2 weeks), and is on a daily pill form of chemo. His positive attitude has generated so much faith, even with the tremendous amount of pain that he has lived with for many months now. We are very specific in our prayers as Ron takes his treatments and medications. We invite you to pray with us: ”Dear Lord, we ask that these treatments and medications provide nourishment to Ron’s body – that they do the good things that they are intended to do – that every sick cell be gone and only healthy cells remain, that the tumors shrink and die, that his bones be strong and blood be resilient, and any and all side effects be neutralized and rendered null and void. We expect a miracle as You have said, “Nothing is impossible with God!” May we continue to be firm in our belief that a miracle is on its way. Help us to stand strong upon your Word knowing that it is true. Thank you that our hope is in You.” Amen.
God has been so faithful to us and we can’t begin to express our gratitude for the team He has used in giving us such a wide-spectrum of support. There’s our precious children who have given us constant encouragement, and so much in tangible ways, and are so attentive to helping us with so many of our physical needs; Ron’s sister, Karen, has been my pillar of strength. She has been so faithful in her “above & beyond” support as she attends every doctor appointment with us and is that extra set of ears and eyes helping me make strategic decisions and keeping important appointments. George, Karen’s husband, and Mark, my nephew, have been our “doers” – providing all the extra manual support to help us in so many ways. Our close friends, Mick & Sheila, when we haven’t been able to go to church, bring us communion and consistently support us in prayer, love and strength. Our church family has been providing tremendous meals to us (no wonder Ron is gaining his weight back – LOL!); our neighbors have been faithful to mowing our lawn; and our family and friends around the world who are praying for us and sending us words of encouragement. We are literally being bathed in Christ’s love by His hand extended to us through all of you! For sure, our Team is making sure we continue to STAND ON THE SPOT!!! Thanks be to God for all of you! We look forward to giving you big praise reports…..brought to you…..from THE SPOT!!!