It is Sunday afternoon, and I wait.

My appointment with the oncologist is at 9 am tomorrow morning. I wait.

I wait in eager anticipation.

From “Jesus Calling” (yesterday, March 26th):

“Waiting on Me means directing your attention to me in hopeful anticipation of what I will do. It entails trusting Me with every fiber of your being, instead of trying to figure things out for yourself. Waiting on Me is the way I designed you to live: all day, every day. I created you to stay conscious of Me as you go about your daily duties.
I have promised many blessings to those who wait on Me:renewed strength, living above one’s circumstances, resurgence of hope, awareness of my continual Presence. Waiting on Me enables you to glorify Me by living in deep dependence on Me, ready to do My will. It also helps you to enjoy Me; in my Presence is fullness of Joy.”

God has already done so much in my life that I never could have dreamed possible. Why did I, a little shy part-time physical therapist and full-time mom, get to talk about God on the Nashville news? Why has this website been viewed so many hundreds of thousands of times? Why is God changing hearts through this story?

I can’t fully explain it, but I believe He will continue to amaze us all by what He is doing…

So I wait, in “hopeful anticipation”…

Today, I am struck by the irony. The irony that I have a disease called cancer – a disease characterized by:
-rapid growth
-uncontrollable spread

I looked up the definition of cancer in one of the many educational materials I have refused to read (because really, I spend enough time thinking about cancer as it is).

Cancer: a group of more than 100 different diseases. Cancer occurs when cells become abnormal and keep dividing (multiplying); forming more cells without control or order.

Do you know what I see all around me? I see the uncontrolled spread of joy, of hope. I hear people praying everywhere and am witnessing rapid growth of spirituality, as the prayers become more bold, more heartfelt, more raw, more focused.
I see you Christians being abnormal, living your lives more intentionally, savoring the “small” blessings that each day holds.

I beg you, don’t let it stop. Don’t let the toxic chemotherapy of the world around you kill this rapidly spreading joy, hope, peace. Let hope metastasize from you, all around you – spreading from person to person as you live your life in bold JOY, bold CELEBRATION!

(Side note: I am excited that we will get to see tangible evidence of this joy-oma, this “joy cancer”, this metastasizing hope, by the many people gathered for “The Walker Run-
Live for Today 5k!!!)

Do you know that that is what God wants for your life? HOPE, PEACE, JOY.  That is what He created us to know, to feel. I praise God for this season of my life where He has made me know it.

“For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…” (Galatians 5)

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow (sounds cancerous to me!) with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

So my prayer tonight:

“I call on you, O God, for you will answer me;
give ear to me and hear my prayer.
Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.
Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings…”
Psalm 17:6-8

And may we all remember the words of David tomorrow morning:
“In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you and
wait in expectation.” (Psalm 5:3)

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