In some ways, it seems like I have the easy job: to sit. I sit in waiting rooms, by bedsides, and next to my husband as doctors explain his condition. My role is to be present, to listen carefully, to research, and to learn everything I can about the battle against cancer. I wait as he endures tests, scans, and procedures; take care of the paperwork and scheduling; keep track of the details; and consistently remind him how strong he is, how brave he is, how kind he is, and how incredibly loved he is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
None of these things are beyond my physical or cognitive capabilities. Some stretch my strengths, like details, but they\u2019re not beyond me. My husband has to endure tests, procedures, surgeries, diagnoses, prognoses, side effects, pain, suffering, and weariness of a slow healing journey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He has the hard job. But you\u2019d never know it. <\/strong> Even when his tank should be below empty, he gives hope, encouragement, and love. He remembers God\u2019s sovereignty. He sees every challenge and speed bump in the journey as an opportunity to shine for Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It doesn\u2019t mean there aren\u2019t bad days. It doesn\u2019t mean that fear hasn\u2019t crept in, intending to create a stronghold of doubt. It doesn\u2019t mean there aren\u2019t times of frustration\u2013and even anger\u2013as the situation seems so unfair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But it does<\/em> mean the good days outweigh the bad. It means God has not left us or forsaken us.<\/strong> Because guess what? Good things are hard. Great things are really hard. But walking hand-in-hand and sitting with the one you love through the fight is the best \u2018hard\u2019 you can live out and the greatest gift you have to offer. That\u2019s the thing about generosity: giving isn\u2019t easy. It usually costs us something. It\u2019s an invitation that the Lord gives us to choose and respond to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And when you dare to believe that giving is one of the most intimate ways we receive the Lord\u2019s goodness, well then my friends, you just might find yourself in similar shoes to David when he wrote, <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLord, who am I and who are my people that we would be allowed to give to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you have given us.\u201d 1 Chronicles 29:14 (NIV)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Lord, who am I that I would know love so deep that it can transform the simple act of sitting<\/em> into a significant gift? A gift that costs time and convenience, which I can offer to the man I love<\/em> and, in turn, receive the sweetest gift of Your peace and presence in return.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n When I remember God\u2019s presence as I sit, waiting isn\u2019t difficult. There is no place else I\u2019d rather be than by my husband\u2019s side. Together is always better!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In some ways, it seems like I have the easy job: to sit. I sit in waiting rooms, by bedsides, and next to my husband as doctors explain his condition. My role is to be present, to listen carefully, to research, and to learn everything I can about the battle against cancer. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":425,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncfgiving.com\/heartland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncfgiving.com\/heartland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncfgiving.com\/heartland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncfgiving.com\/heartland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncfgiving.com\/heartland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=420"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncfgiving.com\/heartland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1244,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncfgiving.com\/heartland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420\/revisions\/1244"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncfgiving.com\/heartland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncfgiving.com\/heartland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncfgiving.com\/heartland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncfgiving.com\/heartland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Instead of complaining, whining, or demanding, \u201cwhy me?\u201d, he asks others how they are doing and works to bring a smile to their face. In a time when selfishness would be significantly justified, he leads with absolute selflessness, thinking and caring for others first. And he starts with me. It\u2019s generosity in its most pure form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While my part is undoubtedly easier than my husband\u2019s, it\u2019s the hardest job I\u2019ve ever had. Why? Because I can\u2019t fix it. I can\u2019t make his cancer go away. I can\u2019t endure pain for the person I love. And when I let what I can\u2019t<\/em> do overshadow and discount the things I can<\/em> do, the hard things get heavier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n