Adventure

After reading my blog on waiting, my dear friend, Christine texted me the Bible scripture found in Psalms 27:14 Wait on the Lord be of good courage, and He shall  strengthen your heart; wait I say on The Lord. It was timely as I was still waiting to hear when treatment would start.  On Tuesday, last week, I knew my word for the week would be adventure.  You see Christine and I worked together for the City of Orlando for a long time and have been on many adventures together.  I love a good adventure so we'd make whatever outing we were doing during lunch time an adventure. It just might be going to a parking garage and riding the clear box elevator to the top floor or walking up and down the 8 flights of stairs in the old City Hall.  We made life an adventure.  

I started Radiation Therapy treatments on Wednesday last week...a new adventure! This adventure reminded me of Mr. Toads Wild Ride as things fell into place. My sister Phyllis and I arrived promptly and I was escorted back to the Radiation Room which as you can see from the pic is kind of daunting, however, the ladies were nice enough and gave appropriate direction. The actual radiation is maybe a little over 5 minutes it's the set up and the radiation scans that take more time so I'm there about 20 minutes. On Wednesday 3 Radiation Therapists busily worked all around me each one giving directions or offering information.  They checked my markings and gave me permanent dots/tats on each hip and yes, I asked for hearts or happy faces but was informed it is not an option.  

I must say on paper so far all this looks pretty matter of fact but in reality I've struggle with many aspects on this adventure.  The radiation machine, Phyllis named Beamer, during the scanning phase makes a humming sound and during the radiation phase to me sounds like an alarm.  Alarms are triggers for me as when I worked for a small hospital back in the day (ok you know you're arriving at an elevated aging process if you are legitimately use this term) I called code blues. Since I knew someone's life was on the line and it was my job you were instructed to drop whatever you're doing, get to the intercom, which resounded throughout hospital to call the code. I've had that code response feeling standing in the McDonald's line hearing their french fry alarm sound off indicating the fries are ready.  So needless to say I was not expecting a mind body war during radiation.  As I lay on the narrow flat bed, it's the one in the pic, I was instructed to lay perfectly still. As the huge machine circles my body making its sound my mind knew it was not a code but my body felt I needed to do something. As my friend Marsha would say..."the struggle is real" in this case was real. 

So by now I've had to use all the Divine Intervention possible, as well as, all the coping strategies I share with people, plus some. After all a good therapist is congruent. We strive to practice what we preach.  I am thankful to report that God is faithful and I am coping better.  I've had wonderful support throughout this process.  Amazing family and friends who show love, care, and concern. I might add if you're reading this I consider you in this group as each prayer, word of encouragement, and act of kindness is endearing to me as I feel very loved and blessed.  It also reminds me how much God love me. The way I see it if you're praying for me... God placed that thought in you to pray... so He is thinking of me... when you pray...both you and God are thinking of me... together!  A sweet WOG (Woman of God), I've known since we were teenagers, came to me at church on Sunday and said that she could see God's love on me and He told her to tell me that His love surrounds me. Her words were priceless.  She also shared that she couldn't understand why God told her to tell me as she shared her conversation with God "I'm sure she already knows this." As she spoke the words I was reminded of the scripture song we used to sing "His banner over me is love." I thanked her for her obedience to God as they were words I needed to hear. Yes, God covers me even when radiation beams are targeting my body and He is big enough to and does cover the fear and anxious thoughts that have surfaced on this adventure.

So what is your adventure this week? What are your struggles? Does it involve fear or anxious thinking? One of my concerns on this adventure is there are people who walk through hard adventures without support. My prayer is whatever your struggle or fear is to know that you're not alone. When I pray for you I feel God has placed you in my thoughts to pray for you and when I pray God and I are both thinking of you.  Somehow it's comforting to me that God partners with us to connect with others.  I love that about God that he chooses to have relationship with us, surrounds us with His love, and connects us together. A little heaven on earth even....in hard adventures. 

Encouraging Scriptural Words
Be anxious for Nothing, but in everything by prayer ans supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the PEACE of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts, and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 6-7

Casting ALL your care (anxieties) on Him, for he cares for you. I Peter 5:7 NKJV

Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the lord delivereth him (her) out of them ALL. Psalm 34:19

I can do ALL things through Christ who give me (great) strength.  Philippians 4:13

Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper in ALL things and be in health, even as your soul prospers. III John 1:2