I feel like I'm on an emotional roller coaster

It's been 459 days since I heard a voice on the telephone telling me I had cancer. It seems so long ago and yet, sometimes, it also feels like it just happened yesterday. That's the weird thing about cancer. It comes into your life and totally turns your world upside down and inside out. You're never the same after you hear those words and that's the part I'm learning to come to grips with. 459 days have passed since I received my life changing news. I'll never forget that day...that Thursday afternoon in June and I don't think God wants me to forget it.

I've done my best to process things on a day by day basis. It's been very difficult, I won't lie. Some days I've felt like giving up. Some days I've cried all day long but then there have also been days when I've been in a deep soul searching mode. It's felt like a roller coaster. Some days up and some days down. Some days I'm flying through the air gripping on so tightly to life that my knuckles are white with fear. But then there are other days, days when I'm so overcome with an indescribable, beautiful peace that can only come from God Himself.

I'm sure I could have attended support groups through the breast cancer wellness center in our town. I could have listened to other women sharing their struggles and pain, but I chose not to do that. I chose to fight my battle alone. It was something I had to do. I had to process things in my own way and in my own time. I cried out to God over and over. Sometimes I asked for an explanation. Sometimes I just cried and begged Him to hold me in His arms and let me feel His love surround me. Every once in a while, I dared to ask "why me?" and He lovingly chided me in His answer, "why not you?"

For people of faith, a journey like this causes immense introspection. It's a test that will prove the depth of your commitment. It's a huge floodlight shining into the deepest, darkest, crevices of your soul. For some, like me, faith is made stronger and more secure. For others, faith wavers and may crumble.

Why does God allow such suffering and devastation into lives? The answer is His alone. Sometimes He chooses to use suffering to reveal flaws...to refine and remold. Sometimes He allows it to show His great mercy and love. For whatever the reason, He allows it. He chooses it. He orders it...specifically for each individual. He deems the length of time for the suffering. He sets limits and boundaries on the pain. He mandates the beginning and the end of it. Sometimes He chooses to remove it completely and sometimes He allows it to linger a little longer.

Over these past 459 days, I've come to see things in a new light. Some days I've done extremely well and other days, I've failed horribly. It's been a roller coaster but through it all, I've learned to accept the fact that I'm not in control of the ride.

God has much to teach me still. I'm trying my best to be a diligent student and learn my lesson well. I know I've grown. I know my faith has been refined and for that, I'm very thankful. Cancer has been both a blessing and curse but, it has also been a great teacher.

Why did God handpick cancer for me? I may never know. I've spent many of the past 459 days trying to figure it out but I have no answers. Today, I listened to a beautiful song that may hold some clues as to His reasoning. The story is called "Blessings" and is by Laura Story. Listen to it by clicking on the link below and as you do, hear the verse that spoke to my heart today. It says "what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise." Could that be the answer? Could the trial of cancer in my life be His mercy in disguise? I am beginning to think so. I know He'll continue to reveal more to me in the days ahead as my ride continues. I'm so very thankful He loves me and even more thankful I trust Him in all of life's ups and downs.

Listen to Blessings by Laura Story

©bonnie annis all rights reserved

Remembering what He has done

This morning, as I was having my devotional, I was taken to Psalm 105:5 "Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced." That verse is overpowering to me because God has done so many amazing things in my life. It's a miracle that I'm even sitting here today writing this blog post...oh if you only knew!

Three times in my life, I've looked death squarely in the eyes. In 1970, I was extremely ill. For over a year, doctors tried to find out what was wrong with me. Finally one doctor determined that the problem was gallstones and he prepared to do surgery. Little did he know that my gallbladder would burst on the operating table and gangrene would start to flood through my body. I was only 13. I almost died. It took a long time to recuperate but God watched over me and kept me safe. 

In 1991, I was involved in a serious motor vehicle accident. I was hit head on by a 2 1/2 ton truck. My car was totaled. My leg was mangled. The doctors told my family they may have to amputate but God chose to have the best orthopedic surgeon in Northeast Georgia on staff at the hospital that day and he was able to save my leg. Years of painful therapy and recovery took place. I spent a year in a wheel chair and another year on crutches. I had to learn to walk again, but I did it! With determination and hard work, I did it. I could have died the day of the accdient, but God protected me. 

In 2014, I was diagnosed with stage 2B breast cancer. Once again, God was with me. Instead of the mass being undetected and killing me, God allowed me to find it one day in the shower. He sent me to the best breast surgeon in Fayetteville and she was able to remove the tumor. Cancer had spread to my lymph nodes and she removed 6 of those too. But instead of Cancer killing me, I'm still here. 

I've faced many trials and adversities in my life. These are just a few of the more severe ones. Instead of focusing on the pain and trauma from these past illnesses and injuries, I choose to focus on the fact that I was never left alone. God was always with me. He orchestrated events according to His will for my life and He used those to make me the person I am today. He allowed me to go through all of those painful events. He allowed me to be physically injured. 

You may be wondering why God would allow me to be hurt. The only answer I can give you is  

perhaps it is the only way we can grow, and bloom and bear fruit. My very favorite verse in the Bible is John 15:5, "I am the vine, you are the branches...if you abide in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. For without me, you can do nothing." He is the vine and we are the branches. We are supposed to abide in Him, attach ourselves to Him, remain in Him, "No branch can bear fruit by itself."

Have you ever been to a winery? Have you walked among the fruits of the vineyard? Recently, on a summer vacation, my husband and I stopped to visit one of North Georgia's wineries. We walked with the vinter through the vineyard as he explained which grapes were best for each type of wine. As we walked down the rows, I noticed there were several places on one plant where grafts were evident. As I asked the vinter about the grafts, he explained that by grafting these two types of grapes together, they could obtain a much sweeter wine. I was amazed to hear all about the wine making process and I couldn't help but think about my favorite verse once again.

In grafting, the tissues of one plant are inserted into the tissues of another so that the two sets of vascular tissues are joined together. The "vine" contains the desired genes to be duplicated in the branch! But we can't get connected without the wounds on both the vine and the branch! When God allows pain and suffering to enter our life, we are invited to join with Him. He sees we are strong enough to enter into a closer, covenantal relationship with Him. And He asks us during these times, "Do you still love Me? Do you still trust Me?"

During the times in my life where I've experienced extreme physical pain, I've had to remind myself that God allowed it to happen. I never blamed God for my injuries, but I knew He had specifically chosen them to mold me and shape me into the person I am today. Even as I continue to battle breast cancer, I find myself thanking Him for choosing this trial for me. But just because I thank Him, doesn't mean it is an easy trial. My suffering allows me to understand and partake of His sufferings which were magnanimous compared to my measily aches and pains.

As my body is wounded and I am grafted into His body, I find myself becoming stronger and stronger in my faith. I can honestly answer His questions with ease...Do you love me? Yes, Lord, with all my heart. Do you still trust Me? Yes, Father. I trust you. Even when I can't see Your hand, I trust Your heart. 

I'll probably never understand why God has allowed me to experience so much physical pain in my life but I am grateful that He's seen fit to walk beside me every step of the way. He's never left me or forsaken me. He's used my suffering to draw me closer to Him, so how can I complain about that?

There are people who've been through much pain in their lives and they've chosen to become bitter instead of looking for a reason behind the suffering. My faith in God has sustained me and given me hope that tomorrow will be a better day. He's shown me, this year, that He uses pain and suffering to teach valuable lessons. We just have to be willing students who are ready to learn.

There is a reason for suffering and pain. It isn't ever wasted. If you are suffering today, know that God is with you. He's promised never to leave you or forsake you. He may be using your trial to teach you something valuable about Him. Whatever the case, trust that He uses all things for our good, even the hard things.

©bonnie annis all rights reserved

New beginnings

The first day of the New Year has come and with it, comes a deep desire for me to sit at my Savior's feet letting my heart spill out into His lap. I have been so weighed down with burdens. There is so much to pray for in this lonely, lost and hurting world. There is so much pain amid those I know and love...so many trials...so much suffering... but as I think about those things, I can't help but realize it is impossible to experience the depth of the God's care without pain in our lives. And perhaps that is why He allows it...to teach us to trust. He is our burden bearer. Psalm 68:19 says, Praise be to the LORD, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." He wants to carry our burdens for us! Otherwise, why would He have said, in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy [i.e., easy fitting], and my burden is light." He never intended for us to carry our burdens alone.
 
As I thought about the ones I wanted to lift up to the throne this morning, I couldn't help but think of Kara Tippetts, the young mother of 4 who is dying of stage 4 breast cancer.  Kara's family and friends have rallied around her as hospice care has begun. Any day now, I expect to receive word that she has gone home to glory. She is my sister, my friend, although I've never had the honor to meet her in person. I put myself in her place and try to imagine how I would feel if I were on my death bed struggling to take my last breath...longing to remain in this world so I could be with my children and loved ones but then, also reaching out to take Jesus' hand and cross into the next world, a world with no more pain. I can imagine the brokenness of her heart as she looks upon the sweet faces of her little ones, knowing they'll grow up without a mother...the deep wounded hurt of knowing she will have to leave her soul mate, her husband, alone and with so much responsibility. And even amid her dying, Kara has a deep understanding of all God has required of her...over the past couple of years of struggle, all the things she's endured to prolong her life... she's fought a good fight and allowed Jesus to shine through her every step of the way. Oh my heart breaks for her! She's had more than her share of suffering.

What an honor to intercede on behalf of those we love by taking their needs to the throne of Grace. What a privilege to call upon Jesus in the midst of their trials. For one friend, I'm asking Jesus to be her light in the midst of a dark despair that has been closing in on her from all sides. For another, that He'll be her comfort as she continues to grieve over the loss of her husband...and then, there's the friend who needs restoration of her marriage. The list goes on and on. Do you have friends who need prayer? Are there those in your family who need intercession? I am sure there are and I bet your list looks something like this, too.

What I’ve come to understand is that in this broken world, brokenness is normal. We can’t escape it. Some people experience much brokenness in their lives and others are barely touched by it at all. If life were what we wanted, if we had everything we desired, there would be no need for a Messiah, no need for Emmanuel - God with us.When I feel overwhelmed by the hurt and pain in my life, and I think the brokenness might suffocate me, God reminds me that He is still present. That He sees all of it and nothing escapes His attention, not even one single tear. He reminds me that all of this will soon pass away and every tear shall be wiped away and replaced with unending joy and hope...with His perfect peace. 

Have you ever noticed that the people who are the most madly in love with Jesus and the ones who seem to be the closest to Him are the ones who have experienced big hurts in their lives? Pain and suffering drive us into the arms of Jesus because that is where we find hope...comfort...and BIG GIANT LOVE. For those who know Him, for those who have learned of Him, they know that even when the hard times come, they aren't alone. That is why they can still find hope...they can smile even when things are difficult...they can still trust.

So today, as I reflect on the past, on the moments when Christ kept me, blessed me, comforted me, protected me...I give thanks. I will choose to feast on His love and remember that even though there is pain and suffering in this world, there is also great love. Even though there are trials and suffering, there is hope. And even in the midst of what seems to be a very hopeless place, God is still there. He is waiting. He is ready. He is willing...to meet your needs, to be your comforter, to give you strength, to supply you with an endless bounty of His goodness if you will just take His hand and trust Him.

Let this new year be a year of fresh beginnings. Let the things of the past go...all the hurts, all the bitterness...all the unforgiveness...let it go. Let God be your healing balm. Let His love wash over you and soothe all the sore places. Let Him make you whole and complete so you can go out into this hurting, broken world and show others that HE IS LOVE.

©bonnie annis all rights reserved

What Cancer has taught me

Cancer is a great teacher and while I never thought I would be one of her students; I have become very astute in her class on life lessons. Today, I'd like to share some of those lessons with you.

God loved me enough to allow cancer into my life. It is for His purposes and to teach me things I never would have learned had it not come my way.When I first got cancer, I prayed and said, "God, why me?" His reply was "why not you?" That allowed me to understand He had personally chosen cancer to bless my life. 

Control is an illusion. I have no control over anything. Everything is in God's hand. In a heartbeat, my entire world was turned upside down. When I heard the words, "you have cancer" I realized all those moments I thought I was in control of my life were just lies. I've never been in control and I never will be.

Trials come to teach us. They help us gain new perspectives. In the midst of a trial, it seems to be a huge nuisance but looking back over it, we can find lessons we learned. Cancer has been the biggest trial I've ever faced. Although I've completed my radiation treatments, I still have other treatments and therapies ahead. Each of those will present their own set of trials but I'm sure as I look back upon them, I'll see things that God was teaching me. "Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4 (Amplified Version of the Holy Bible)

Love openly and well. Cancer has taught me that love is the most important thing we can ever give someone else. I am intentional about telling my friends and family I love them. I want them to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they are important to me. "But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.: 1 Corinthians 13:13 (New American Standard Bible)

People are important. Every single person that comes into your life is there for a reason. They may only cross your path for a short time, but they are there to either teach you something or for you to teach them something. God chooses who comes and goes in our lives. I believe He handpicks them! God has brought various people into my life since my cancer diagnosis. It's been amazing to see the people He's chosen to reach out to me. He's used complete strangers to encourage me and lift me up. He's used old friends and coworkers to pray for me. He has known exactly what I have needed at exactly the right time. I am so thankful He uses others to be His hands and feet. 

Worry has no power over me. I used to worry all the time. My husband called me a worry-wart. I finally learned that worrying solved nothing and that old saying, "worry is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere" is so true. All worrying does is rob you of precious time. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:34 (The Holy Bible)

Death is not as scary as it used to be to me. The Bible says my life is like a vapor and a vapor doesn't last very long. When faced with cancer, you learn to be firm in your faith. You really come to understand that this is just our temporary home and we are just passing through. My home is in eternity with God. I'm not afraid of dying because I know to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. "Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." James 4:14 (New International Version of the Holy Bible)


Life is not about me. It's about others. Enough said.

I've learned to be a gracious receiver. When life throws huge health trials your way, you learn quickly that you have physical limitations. It's important to learn when we refuse to accept help, we can be robbing someone of a blessing. When someone offers to do something for you, graciously accept. That old saying "it is more blessed to give than to receive" is very true.  "In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Acts 20:35 (New American Standard Version of the Holy Bible)

I have learned to seek and find joy. I have learned to look for joy in simple things. The way my husband's eyes twinkle when he smiles at me...the sweet dimples in my granddaughter's hand..the way the leaves flutter to the ground...joy is all around us.

I've learned it's okay to cry and that my feelings matter. I used to be ashamed to cry in front of someone. I would always hold my feelings in until I could go to a private place and let them out. Now I've learned that it's okay to cry. Crying is an emotional release of deep pain. I've also learned that God holds my tears precious in His sight. In the Bible it even says He stores our tears up in His bottle. That tells me that He counts every tear I cry as precious. "You number my wanderings;
Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?" Psalm 56:8 (New King James Bible)

I get tired more easily. I’ve learned to honor the feeling of tiredness and act on it. In the past I pushed and pushed, knowing that I could push past my limits and succeed. Now I know that if I push I will fall, so I try to not run faster than I can walk. I am learning to go to bed early, to relish the times I can sleep in, and to not feel guilty about needing a nap or saying “no.”

 I'm slower. I'm not as fast as I once was, I've slowed way down.The every day stranger wouldn’t notice, but I do, and my family does. I don’t pack as much into my day, I don’t rush through things. I’m more deliberate in my movements and actions.

I'm more mindful. I pay attention to the feeling the bristles of my toothbrush on my teeth, feeling the sand under my feet, noticing the sunrises, and sunsets. I smell my grandbabies, watch them puzzle over how to do things, enjoy the silence in my car, and feel the sweat on my back as I exercise. In my awareness I recognize how truly blessed I am.

I am stronger than I think I am. I have learned that I am more powerful than ever. I have become an overcomer. I have fought battles I never thought I could win and I have been brave.

I am more patient now. I used to be very impatient with myself and with others. My 2015 slogan is going to be "don't sweat the small stuff." Because honestly, getting worked up over people and situations just really isn’t where I want to be spending my energy. So when I feel irritation or frustration coming on, I will step back, flip my hands in the air, and say, “It just doesn’t matter.” I will choose to let things go and when I do, I will feel such freedom.

Prayer is key to everything. I've always known this but it became even more real lately. I can pray at any moment of any day and I know God hears me. He is always ready to listen to my heart. I can share anything, absolutely anything, with Him. He does not judge me. He does not condemn me. He merely loves me. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

I'm more forgiving. The Bible tells me that I'm to be slow to anger and quick to forgive. The softer-side of Bonnie has come forward. I want to hold, cuddle, kiss, caress, whisper words of truth to those around me. I want to say, “I love you.”I want to overlook faults and dismiss shortcomings. I'm learning to be more Christlike. "And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:32 (Amplified Bible)

I've learned to live in the moment. Don't focus on tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year! Pay attention to exactly where you are right now and live in that precise moment. Cancer has taught me no longer to be a long range planner. Now I focus on what's happening this minute and I soak up every single second of that minute.

I've learned to prioritize. I've learned to think about things that are really important to me and the other things fall. Let it be. Let it go. Let it fall. And things will be okay...

I've learned to be purpose driven - I've learned to live my life with purpose. To focus on living my life fully. To go where God leads and do what He says do without hesitation, without question, without delay.

My identity is not tied up in my disease. I am not my breast cancer. It does not define me.

Multi-tasking is a thing of the past. I used to be a great multi-tasker. Every job I held demanded it. I had to learn to juggle 5 or 6 balls at one time not only in my workplace, but also in my home. Now that I'm older and I've gone through all these treatments, I just can't do it any longer. I find I am much better at doing one thing at a time and doing it well. It was hard to admit I can no longer write my blog, talk on the phone, and text my daughter all at the same time. I used to do those things so easily.

I forget things. Whether it's a sign of aging or results from medication or treatment, I don't really know...but I am not as sharp as I used to be. I find that making lists help me remember. I seem to be sharpest first thing in the morning so that's when I compile my lists. When I do forget something, I don't beat myself up over it. I just laugh and write it down on tomorrow's list of things to do.
Those are just a few of the things cancer has taught me. I'm sure I will learn many more valuable lessons in the future. It's amazing to me the depth of understanding that has come since my illness and even though I'm sharing these valuable life lessons with you, you probably won't truly understand them until some debilitating disease or tragedy touches your life. My hope is that you will take away something from this post...something that will cause you to think or re-evaluate your life before that time comes.

If I had to sum things up in just a few sentences, I would say this to you - "Be intentional in the way you live and love. Let go of the small things and always be ready to forgive. Embrace life and live it to the fullest. If you look for joy, you will find it."

Having breast cancer has not been easy, but it has changed me. It has changed me in ways I could never believe. For the last 8 months, I've been on a roller coaster of self discovery. God has shown me things about myself that I didn't like as well as things I loved. I have felt His hands upon me molding me and shaping me into a beautiful vessel for His use. I'm still not finished yet, but I can't wait to see what He does in my life in the days ahead. 

©bonnie annis all rights reserved