Walking for the Cure and Walking on for Eternity!

Doubtless, for anyone who has lived for at least a little while on this planet, they have been impacted by that enemy known as "cancer".  Although each one's story is unique, it also causes people to feel united in their experience of suffering that this awful disease brings to individuals, which ultimately touches countless others, whether it's family members, co-workers or friends.  While I hate cancer, too, it is something that we all must face in some way or another, as it affects so many people in this world.  For us, personally, breast cancer, in particular, has attacked both my (Chandra's) paternal grandmother and Jay's maternal grandmother.  More recently, this Spring, Jay's sister discovered a lump which turned out to be stage 3a cancer.  She started treatment this June and is now almost to her last, 6th round of chemo.  So, when Jay's workplace invited their workers to join a team to walk in the Breast Cancer "Walk for the Cure" in Denver, he felt compelled to sign up.

Penny and I thought that we couldn't join, since it was a team from his workplace.  We'd never been to such a Walk, before.  So, we showed up, thinking that we would just be there as a support.  But, as it turned out, we ended up getting to join the walk at the halfway point and finish it with him.  It was a very moving experience to walk with about 15,000 other people who also have known someone facing this battle.





 At the end, we even heard the true life story of a man who had battled breast cancer, himself, and survived.

It was touching to see so many people who were either remembering a loved one who they had lost to breast cancer (Jay lost his grandma) or those who were celebrating loved ones who are still living as survivors (my grandma survived her breast cancer).  I also was remembering a friend who is a mom battling breast cancer.  She just discovered hers last year and it was already at stage 4.  But, thankfully, she is still valiantly battling it and surviving.  I've enjoyed reading her e-mail reports on how the disease has made her all the more aware of every small blessing of life.  When you must face your own human weakness and immortality, it causes one to certainly take stock of what is really important.

  It also makes one think more about eternity.  I hope and pray that it will cause each and everyone of us to make sure that we are all living a life full of thankfulness and humility, sharing the joy of knowing Jesus, who has paid the way to give us the hope of eternity with Him.  In fact, my aunt recently was passing between that life and this one.  She got several glimpses of Jesus before coming back to this world.  When she came back she kept telling everyone around her, "Do you know Jesus?  You need to know Jesus!"  She kept saying that the other world was "So beautiful!"  She was disappointed to come back to this world with its troubles.  In fact, my aunt is currently paralyzed.  But, I think Jesus brought her back in order to share His message that we can be assured of a peaceful life forever with him.  All we need to do is to receive His free gift of forgiveness for our sins.  So, there is no need to fear even the enemy called "cancer".  Let's live each moment He has given us here on this planet to the fullest, as long as He's given us time.  And let's encourage one another to prepare our lives for the future when He does call us home.  Walking for the cure for cancer and walking on for eternity!