You may remember me posting this awhile back:
The updates on Joanne have been nothing short of miraculous! She is now in a rehabilitation hospital working hard to regain enough strength to go home after she suffered a massive stroke at her home on January 11. Through her blog, The Simple Wife, her family and friends have continued writing about her progress and their new “normal.” She has a remarkable and supportive family.
One family member that stood out to me today was Joanne’s sister, Kristen. I followed a link from Joanne’s blog over to Kristen’s and was reading her account of going to visit her sister in the hospital on Sunday. One paragraph stood out to me in particular:
“on the drive home the kids quickly fell asleep and i was just explaining to wade how depressed i am. i KNOW she is making progress, but the last couple times i’ve seen her, all i want to do is cry! it’s tears of sadness, regret that this happened to her, and just because this sucks. i KNOW i KNOW she is improving, and for that i am so eternally grateful. i just want more. someone once told me the longest 12 inches is between your head and your heart….i couldn’t agree more. that’s why i’ve always loved philippians 4:7….and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your HEARTS AND MINDS in Christ Jesus. and i do have that peace…..i do. when you strip away all the daily grind and all that distracts in this life….i DO have that peace.” (source)
I think much of this is how I feel about cancer. How sometimes it can make me feel depressed if I think about it too much. Even when my HEAD KNOWS that I’m doing well, sometimes I will still cry because it sucks. Cancer just sucks. And I KNOW IN MY HEART there are so many that have it so much worse than I do, that would long to be in my place, and for my healing and prognosis I am grateful. Like Kristen wrote above, the longest 12 inches is between your head and your heart…absolutely. I love how she connects the two with Philippians 4:7…"and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your HEARTS AND MINDS in Christ Jesus.” I also have that peace. Even when my head and my heart occasionally battle it out, I know that no matter how they hard each hits, my foundation will never shake. I do have that peace…I DO. When you strip away all the daily grind and all that distracts in this life…I DO HAVE THAT PEACE.
I am so thankful for His peace that passes all understanding.
Tell someone you love them today!
xoxo
2 comments:
Thanks so much for your honesty, Erica. And I totally understand where you're coming from. And where we are going!
I have been reading about Joanne as well.......following her progress and unable to imagine what her family is going through. It seems like nothing but praises, but I don't have the emotional attachment to the situation that makes you want all back to normal.....now. Great post, my friend. I adore you!!!
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