Tangible

I had just left the operating room where a port had been placed in preparation for chemotherapy. Before heading home, we had to stop at the oncology department to draw some labs before my chemotherapy could begin on Monday morning.

My mother, husband, and two-year-old daughter accompanied me.

I was determined, angry, anxious, but most of all, fearful of how my daughter would process what was going on. Things had moved rather quickly, and I had not had the opportunity to process anything. I was concerned about how she would handle the changes she would soon see in Mommy. My mind swirled with all the “what ifs?” I had been praying for God to show me how to care for my daughter while I was ill.

Now that the cancer had come back, I knew how overwhelmingly tired I would be. A woman about my age, or maybe a little older, sat across from us in the oncology room.

She came over to speak with me. I am not sure if she could see how worried I was or if I somehow reminded her of her own journey with cancer.

She inquired about my daughter and asked about her age.

She shared that she had been battling ovarian cancer for twenty-five years and that her children had been young when she had first started her journey.

Then she looked me in the eye and said, “They are resilient. If you have the support, send her to your mom so that you can rest. Kids adjust. She will be OK.” She smiled and went back to her seat. At that moment, I knew she was an answer to prayer.

The reassurance in her words could’ve come only from God.

In retrospect, I can’t help but marvel at how God’s love was manifested in such a tangible way. He knew my number one care, and He sent me a message in such a loving and visible manner. He cares. He cares for you and for me. Peter encourages us to cast our cares and anxieties on Him. He cares about the smallest details, including the things we think are silly—even our bad hair days. He cares about our big concerns, our work projects, meetings, and life changes. He wants to know all about the things that concern us. I was worried about a lot of things that day, but He identified the one thing that would give me peace at that moment.

That is how He loves us. Tangibly.

We are so blessed!

Carmina Charles