Day 55 - Ride Like A Thriver

Say whut? Day FIFTY-FIVE?

After a couple small cups of coffee and bacon, we attacked our chores for today. Two more loads of laundry (and happily it’s right next door!) and a deep cleaning of the bathroom!

And then we gave Howie a very much needed bath. We aren't sure he has had one in a very long time (besides hosing him down at home once!)

We rode our scooters to the only “restaurant” 0.6 miles from our RV Park and we’re served the BIGGEST Shrimp Po Boy we’ve ever seen!

It’s also the first time we received it with fried shrimp- so far it’s just been grilled. So now we know we need to ask for it not fried. We ended up not eating the bread and eating all of the shrimp, tomatoes, lettuce, red onions, and pickles! And we’re stuffed!

When we looked at the map we thought we would be along the Mississippi River! There is a levy between!

Hannah's Heart:

This morning I found out that someone I had been coaching for the past 2+ years had passed away. 

I'd never met her in person but I had zoomed with her and FaceTimed and texted a lot. I didn't know her family but I knew her fears, the ones she had expressed to me over and over. 

I find that God let's me minister to other women that struggle with the thought of death and have an incredible fear of it. 

I remember the moment it dawned on her, when Chuck and I were talking to her one day, that she didn't need to fear death. 

"Oh!" she exclaimed, "It's a WIN-WIN situation!" If I'm healed I win and if I die I win," she cried with joy, realizing that death had lost its power over her. 

I'm sure the enemy was sulking that day when she realized she was already Victorious in her life, even while living with cancer. 

From that point on she began giving that joy to other women with her diagnosis, showing them how to smile despite the heartache and the losses cancer brings. 

We remained in contact when her cancer began to spread more recently and she needed some verses to remind her that God was good and carried ALL of her burdens in the middle of her hard stuff. 

The last thing she texted me was that she was spending regular quiet time with Him. 

That speaks volumes to me. 

She found real peace spending time with Him. 

Isn't that what we all are searching for, longing for, trying to find in this busy world?

She found it. Hope and joy. 

What doesn't escape my notice is that we were diagnosed around the same time in 2016. 

I've lost so many cancer clients that I've coached and had the privilege to encourage and point to Him over and over. 

Today I cried hard in Chuck's arms.  I've never poured my heart into so many people in my life as I have these past 2 years. 

It's hard. Sometimes I just want to tap out and go do my own thing. 

But this IS my calling He gently reminds me. 

He gave me these 2 verses from Hebrews in backwards order to remind me what Jesus did first. So now I can learn it from Him. 

“Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭

All of this suffering I've been going through- physically (with 8 fractures and multiple surgeries) & emotionally when I pour into others has been teaching me obedience. Wow. I don't think I've looked at it this way before.

Some translations use "trusting-obedience."  

And then I read the verse before it;

“While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭5:7‬ ‭

That hit me hard. I was pleading and crying. Loud crying. And tears. This loss of yet ANOTHER person that I had sowed into really hurt. But Jesus knew that kind of pain. He knew way more  than I'll ever experience. But He understands it. He sits with me in it. 

And then the second part; the part where God hears the prayers because of "His deep reverence for God."  It made me question "Do I have such a deep reverence for God?"  Some versions translate it as "honor."  I imagine it's a bit like surrendering to Him with my heart and soul. 

And then He showed me this verse

“For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭6:10‬ ‭

This gives me courage to press on. To keep up the work He gives me each day to encourage. To share the trusting-obedience that I have learned through all of my own suffering. 

He doesn't waste our pain. Ever. 

He's trustworthy.