Yesterday, I got a facebook message from a friend and roommate from college that I haven't spoken to in quite a while. Heather was letting me and another friend & roomie know that one of our suitemates had passed away. After many messages and searching online, we all found her story and cried. I don't think any of us really got to know her very well - she was very quiet and timid. At least, that's what we saw. I regret that now because we were loud and probably a little obnoxious and she didn't seem to fit our fast-paced fun. But she was sweet and kind and we did have some late night conversations that included her. She was joyful - I remember that. Evidently, she graduated UM and moved to Decatur. She got engaged and married about a month later. This was a year ago. After seeing the GYN for what may have been the first time, she was told she had ovarian cancer. She had one ovary removed and went through several chemo treatments. Her hair fell out. The way I understand it, she wasn't as concerned with all this as she was with spending time with her mother who must have died this summer of brain cancer. Can you imagine? It seems after chemo, she and her husband decided to try to have a baby. They were able to get pregnant just a couple months ago. Then last week, when she would've been 9 weeks along, she died. I don't know what happened, but it must have been sudden. My heart aches for her family. I can't find the words to express the sadness I feel that she didn't get to have her sweet baby and share that with her husband. All this on a day when my babies won't nap and just want to be held and I'm easily frustrated because I only have two hands. (And then there's the fact that spilled crystal light all over the computer, but we won't go into that.) God, help me to remember how precious my life is. Almighty Father, help me to keep in mind what my life cost. Sweet Savior, help me to look through Your eyes and see all life for the matchless gift that it is. Don't let me waste another breath on words that don't uplift or encourage or comfort Your children or share Your name. How can I forget how priceless this life is when just over 4 months ago I came so close to losing mine?? And how does anyone survive this world without God? I just don't know. Her name was Beth.
"i've been dressing up and dressing down for too many people
and i'm a little young to live like a troubled boy
a troubled soul, a fish out of water, because
we're all just the same
we're all just as good and just as bad and just as distracted
by the corners of our eyes as our fathers were and theirs before
and all those before them: still i glance around
with the way i stare you'd think i'd seen through a 2x4
and with the way i walk you'd think i've never seen grace before
there was a life before my life
there was provision before my need
there was redemption before my sin
for the sake of the world i thank the Lord
that the truth is not contingent on me." ~ Caedmon's Call
No comments:
Post a Comment