2 Corinthians 5:6-8 (NKJV) - 6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
My story starts two years ago when we rented a house in Pacific Grove for our vacation. During the drive, Patrick and I stopped in Morro Bay to stretch and eat the
picnic lunch that I had packed. We walked on the beach and then around town for a a little while. On that
day, just like so many others before it I was wearing the precious, beautiful
cross that Jill brought to me from Czechoslovakia. When I wore the cross it
reminded me that God is always with me and protects me from harm, so I wore it
almost everyday and always when I traveled away from home.
When I
got back into the car, I looked down and the chain around my neck had broken and my
beautiful cross was gone! Patrick and I looked everywhere, retracing our
steps even in the sand. We scoured the car on that day and again when we
got home to unpack in hopes that it dropped into some crevice. To no avail. I was heartbroken and so ashamed that I lost such a beautiful gift
that I couldn’t bear to tell Jill about it. Finally, I thought that perhaps God did not
want me to be so attached to a material thing. It’s just that it mean’t so much to me and represented a gift of friendship and a constant reminder
of God’s love and grace.
We have cleaned the car on a regular basis in the last two years
and slowly my hope of finding my precious cross faded. I resolved that
perhaps God wanted someone else to have it who needed it more.
Last week as we were making final preparations for our trip to
Bodega Bay. Patrick came in from washing the car, sweaty and with a big grin on
his face. As he approached me, he extended his hand to me and opened his fist.
There in the palm of his hand was my long lost precious cross! I cried
tears of joy and relief as I snatched it out of his hand. To me this was
a miracle, as I thought it was lost forever.
Two hours later, Dr. H called me to tell me the results of my
MRI. He said that there is definitely a tumor that shouldn’t be there on my inner thigh and that it will need to be surgically removed. He told me to go on vacation and in the
meantime he will make arrangements with a surgeon. There is no clarity yet if the tumor is benign or malignant, but he was
relieved to see that the tumor was not attached to the muscle, which in his
experience is a nasty form of cancer. He also said that the lymph nodes
in my groin area look normal, also a good sign.
While I still do not have full reassurance from the doctors, I
think that it is interesting that God chose this date for Patrick to find my
cherished cross. I think that God gives us what we need when we need it,
so we can comprehend more clearly his message. I know that it is
symbolic, but I feel like he gave me back the cross to remind me of his love
for me and to reassure me that everything will be okay. I wore the cross
the rest of the day, I am wearing it now and will wear it everyday until my
surgery.
Matthew 9:20-22 (NKJV) 20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” 22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.
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