my parents moved to OK last month. they started going to first presbyterian church in tulsa. a few days before this sermon was written my mom was talking with their new pastor. trying to get to know each other better and my cancer was brought up and in turn this blog. by friday of that week he decided to write a little sermon about 2 Peter 3:13. life's adversities and how if we choose. if we really decide we will not waste anything the Lord puts in our life. for us that was cancer. when things happen. crazy. hard. never imagined it would happen type things...you can make a choice on how you will handle it. we chose to trust the Lord. glorify Him with our lives and His story through us. none of it is easy. not one part about cancer was easy. but no one ever said life would be easy. but it was good and it was only good because we knew we could not take my cancer away or do anything to heal myself. i was sick. full of cancer. there was nothing I could do but HE could. He healed me. we just chose to trust Him.
if you want to check it out LISTEN HERE
'we just chose to trust Him'...that one line says so much! 'Just'...it's no little thing, neither is choosing, but put them together with trust...HUGE! Especially when we are choosing to trust our God! That is NO little thing! I don't know you or your family at all, but I can't tell you how many times I have referenced your story/blog to others and said the same thing. Cancer stinks...nothing about it is good, but trusting God and giving it to Him...that is what makes it good! Once again, thank you for sharing your heart!
ReplyDeleteThat line from the catechism- "I trust Him SO much that I do not doubt that He will provide whatever I need for body and soul. And He will turn to my good whatever adversity He SENDS me in this sad world. He is able to do this because He is almighty God. He is determined to do this because He is a loving Father." Oh my goodness that's grace! Just wrecked me.
ReplyDeleteSo sweet to hear more about how your story is God's and He is using it always, because it's His. Thank you for sharing that sermon, let's go visit your parents so we can go to that church =D Seriously, so good.
Thanks, Libby, for posting the link to the sermon. I listened to it this afternoon, and hearing your story used to uplift God literally brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for reminding me that I need to trust God more in the midst of my own trials and pray that "He will turn to my good whatever adversity he sends me in this sad world."
ReplyDeleteHi Libby,
ReplyDeleteI don't think we've met but I led YL at JMU and am going on staff in Northern Va in August! I got to hear you speak at our committee weekend and love reading your blog. Thanks for sharing this sermon. The Lord has been challenging me with this idea of not wasting my adversity. I lost my mom to cancer 11 years ago. It feel just as real as it did then, maybe even more so. But it makes me want to know Jesus more, let grace wash over my heart, and hold those I love even more dearly. I hate cancer. So much. But this time on earth is too short to have my focus be on that hate. I want it to be on Jesus and what HE has done for me. I am thankful for freedom and life because of what He has done. So, I'm not going to waste what has happened. I'm going to let his work shine through my broken self.
I keep praying for you, Justin and Ava! Thank you for sharing your life with us.
In love,
Margaret