82, 41, 33, 27.........

82, 41, 33, 27.....These are the ages of the people in my life that I found out had cancer this week. Those are the ages of people who will forever be changed. Two men and two ladies. I find myself shocked, still, even going through all my Mom has gone through. Seeing the waiting room packed every time I am at West. I am still awed as I watch a life changed forever because of cancer. After your breath is taken away, you have that numbing moment....you know not really got your breath back and just beginning to feel the sting. And four different times, talking to four different families I relived the moment our family was changed. There is a distinct look on a family face, it is a look of being lost, out of focus, nothing seems real. Everyone is going about their every day life, but you are in a fog trying to imagine if life will ever be the same again. I think one of the most real statements said to me by one of these precious families was "I never thought we would end up like this...this just hit us out of nowhere." And of course, there from the beginning, whether you believe or not..is God. It is amazing to me, how much you talk about Him in moments like this. With 3 of 4 of these amazing families, I had never talked about God more than talking about loving church this weekend, or how He is blessing my family. But a dead serious discussion about God didn't happen until things got dead serious. I am quickly reminded that there is a purpose in everything good and bad. God is with us in these drastic moments but He also wants us to use these drastic moments for His glory..for His purpose...for Him. A Grandfather, a father, two husbands, a farmer, a businessman, a new wife, a mother, a church secretary, a daughter, a student, college graduate, politician....four cancer patients....four families with one huge thing in common....common ground...united in a battle for their lives against the same enemy in different forms. As my Mom would say, it is not a time for sleep you must get up and fight.