We Seek After
These Things
Recently returned from serving the people of Honduras for 3 years

Saturday, April 25, 2009

I'm Thinking . . .

I've just been thinking all week . . .

I'm thinking of my of my good friend and neighbor who has been caring so diligently for her aging father, who has increasingly become afflicted with dementia, and her family members who have had to make the most difficult decision ever to separate him from the love of his life and move him into a home in an assisted living center . . .

I'm thinking about our good friends who just received the unexpected news that he has a tumor on his liver, that he has cancer of the common bile duct, that he may be able to extend his life through chemotherapy and radiation and possibly surgery to remove 1/3 of his liver, that he will probably ultimately not be able to beat this particular type of cancer, and it realistically may claim his life . . .


I'm thinking about some old friends who recently lost a 16 month toddler grandson, who was playing outside with his grandma, when he was accidentally run over as he crawled under a large truck for a toy, the driver was his 19 year old uncle who is currently serving a mission but is home due to extreme abdominal problems he is being treated for . . .


I'm thinking of my brother and his wife, and how much they are missing their 19 year old son who was killed two months ago in an automobile accident while returning from snowboarding with some friends. And I'm thinking about their 18 year old son who was the driver of the vehicle, and hoping that he is doing well and still surrounded by his good friends . . .

I'm thinking about my good friend at work who recently underwent a thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer, and just found out that the cancer has metastasized to other different locations, including her lung and left eye . . .



I just keep thinking . . .




I'm wondering . . . how DO our HEARTS endure this type of pain?

How do we get through these life events?

It can only be through prayer and faith.
My prayers.
Your prayers.
And their prayers.
And our faith.
And the love of a Savior and Heavenly Father.
And his comfort.



It can only be.

5 comments:

susette said...

It's just so sad to me how these illnesses and diseases hit so many loved ones and neighbors and Ward members. I'm thinking you are so right about finding comfort in our Savior. No where else will there be complete peace and love available.

Kate said...

You are right, there is no where that we can find that peace than through our Savior. It is so hard to see so much grief and pain. Great post.

Joy For Your Journey said...

I am so sorry! It is hard to deal with such news but how grateful we are for the gospel and our understanding of it. We recently received news my cousin's cancer has spread. And yesterday we learned that a sweet little nine year old girl in our stake has yet another brain tumor. They were going to operate on her last Friday but she asked the doctors to wait so her family and ward could pray and fast for her. What a sweetheart!

Your comments also reminded me of a poem I read many, many years ago. It was actually about losing someone spiritually to wickedness, but the last line has always stuck with me. After expressing her own grief the author then thinks of God losing 1/3 of His children and then asks----"So comes again a thought I cannot shake—
How big must be a heart that will not break?" That thought has always given me some comfort in knowing that our Heavenly Father understands out pains and sorrows.

* said...

this blog entry is so thoughtfully written to bring tears to my eyes. My grandma is currently undergoing radiation for cancer. How *do* our hearts endure this...if it wasn't for Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Thank you for this blog post.

Dianna said...

Thank you so much for your beautiful thoughts.

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