Hello Everyone,
I have to get some things off of my chest, well not my new ‘boobs’ please, I went through to much to get them! I’m afraid these comments may not sit well with those who may just happen to come upon my new blog, but still, I have to make some comments/give my opinion, and I would love some feedback, just be nice!
In July 2012 I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mastectomy on 9-11-12. I started four rounds of chemo on 11-08-12! (These are the kind of dates you never forget!) I finished my last chemo on 1-17-13. That was a great day, let me tell you.
Unfortunately this diagnosis couldn’t have hit at a worse time for me, both for time of year and my finances. I wasn’t doing all that well financially before I received the diagnosis and things got worse afterwards, as after my surgery I didn’t work again until 1-9-13, and that is only for four hours a week. (Not everyone wants to hire a bald 61-year-old!) However I am very grateful for my job and love it, love it, love it!
I have had some wonderful friends and family that stepped up to the plate and really helped me out, especially during the Christmas season, as the holidays are not a fun time of year to have to deal with cancer. I can’t express my thanks enough or ever, for their help and concern. I am so, so grateful, but unfortunately, for most everyone, the new year is here, the holidays are over, and life must move on. For me, that is not the case. My health challenges have diminished, but not gone away, and my finances are no better than they were five months ago. I lived on $73 a week for the last four months of 2012, and that amount has only slightly increased since the first of the year.
I never, ever would want anyone to have to deal with what I have experienced in the last five months, and continue to experience, but one day it could very well happen to you. I have heard from others that have been in similar situations that when the crisis first happens everyone is ‘Johnny on the spot’, but as time goes on, their efforts go on as well, and you are still pretty much in the ‘spot’ where they left you. That is tough, especially for those of us who are a little bit on the older side, and have no spouse or partner to share this challenge with.
What bothers me the most is these people are good, nice, wonderful, God-loving, Christian people, but is it possible that we can be described this way, but still can turn blind eyes after a while? I know I probably did when the circumstances were on the other foot. If there is one thing having breast cancer has taught me, is the situation doesn’t stop with the cure. That is when the work really begins. Like the Christian song I am listening to right now….’there is somebody out there…… who needs your help in some way, and that someone turns into someone else, and some else, as the need doesn’t stop. The need gets forgotten, but it doesn’t stop!
I like what Andy Stanley (I am a huge fan, Hi Andy!) said in a sermon he gave right at the first of the year. I may not get this exactly right, so Andy jump in when you read this, but I did write one thing down that seemed to be the main theme of his talk. Andy was talking about giving and helping others. He basically said that so many Christians get so overwhelmed about the amount of need that is out there, they throw their hands up and don’t even try. He put forth what I thought was an outstanding idea. He said, “Do for one person what you would want to do for many.” WOW, what a powerful idea. I don’t think, but I could be wrong, that God is going to take a count of how many people we helped, but how did we help any one person. If He taught that the Shepard leaves the 99 sheep to go after just one, I think God doesn’t always takes into account any tally we may or may not be trying to reach. Is there just one person out there who could use your help right now, at this time, when it isn’t Christmas anymore? It is just a cold February day. Do we need to be in the season of giving to give?
I listen to Christian radio and I listen to all of the Christian political pundits and so many times I am so tempted to call in. They are always talking about how much the government is taking over everything, which causes more taxes, more spending, etc. And they extol that the churches need to step up to the plate, much like they did many years ago, when universities, hospitals, orphanages, so many social services and institutions were founded and funded by the church. Frankly, I just don’t see churches being able to do that, or more importantly willing to take on such a task. Have you tried to get help or have you gotten help from your church? I belong to a wonderful ministry, that has helped me tremendously, but I observe that is more the exception than the rule. I love what one of the pastors at my church said in a sermon one Sunday a few years ago. He said (and once again my apologies to the pastor), ‘if you are attending your small group one night and a fellow member says they were barely able to get there as they didn’t have money enough for gas.’ He said, ‘don’t just say, OK we’ll pray for you to get money for gas.’ He said, ‘Open your wallet and give the person $5.00 for some gas!’ WOW, that is what I am talking about. I know it can be done. I have a friend whose 26-year-old daughter is in a small group with people of the same age. Just starting out in their careers, just getting married, not a lot of disposable income. When their small group leader’s car broke down and she needed another, this small group of young adults raised over $6,000 so she could buy another car! Honestly, that should put anybody over the age of 35 to 40 and older, in a small group to shame! Hey there may be many small groups doing that kind of thing, but I haven’t heard of any but this group. The word needs to get out when something like this gets accomplished by a small group! God’s good news needs to be spread!
Well enough of my ranting and my comments. I just needed to get these thoughts expressed and take the feedback good or bad, if I should get any. These are just my thoughts, right or wrong. And remember it isn’t always about money, but in this economy, there are so many people who are hurting financially. You’d be surprised how much a small amount of money would be appreciated. And they haven’t been taking from the government all of their lives, which is the excuse I hear so many times, from so many people. A complaint they wear righteously on anything and say anytime they can. (Hey, ‘there but for the grace go I’ as my father taught me!) I worked a full-time job and one-part time job for about twenty years. Many of those years I was a single mother. Three years before I lost my full-time job in 12-08, I worked a full-time job and two part-time jobs. Since losing my job in 1208, I have been blessed to find part-time work a lot of the time. But underemployment is only slightly better than unemployment. Never before did I ask or receive help from the government and frankly don’t want it now, but who/where else can I go, and believe me, that isn’t an easy path to take, if no one else will step up to the plate. If you can obtain a copy of Andy’s sermon from that week, you would be well off to listen to it. I also want to ask the Christian political pundits, if only a small percentage of Christians tithe, I have heard the number, but it escapes me now, how do we expect these Christians and their churches to help in any great numbers if the government doesn’t anymore?
I want to finish this commentary with something I read in Mark Batterson’s addendum to his fantastic book, “The Circle Maker”. In the continuing story, in his book titled “Draw the Circle: The 40 Day Prayer Challenge.” Mark quotes Peter Marshall, the former chaplain of the United States Senate:
“I wonder what would happen if we agreed to read one of the Gospels, until we came to a place that told us to do something, then went out to do it, and only after we had done it….began reading again?….
There are aspects of the Gospel that are puzzling and difficult to understand. But our problems are not centered around the things we don’t understand, but rather in the things we do understand, the things we could not possibly misunderstand.
This, after all, is but an illustration of the fact that our problem is not so much that we don’t know what we should do.
We know perfectly well….but we don’t want to do it.”
Thanks, Mark for writing a great book and for bringing to my attention those profound words of Peter Marshall.
Mark states that Peter Marshall is a hero of his and that Mr. Marshall believed in an action-oriented approach to Scripture. I have become a fan myself.
Cancer changes so much about your life, and if you choose to see as it a gift, which it can be, it can open your eyes to things you were blind to before. I believe that God will bring good out of my cancer experience, and I know it will some how involve serving others, as when it comes right down to it, that is all that really matters.
Don’t wait to get cancer to have your eyes open.
Shalom and Many Blessings
michellefitzpatrickgabby 