Packing my Parachute

I love how God works, and He continues to shows me daily that there are many good things that will come from by fight against breast cancer! If you read my background story, it was a devotional about the lions in our lives that told me it was time to make an appointment with my doctor.


Well, the day after I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I shared the news with my Facebook friends. Most of my family, my church family, and my closest friends already knew and we were all still digesting it.  Posting on Facebook was something I was going to do, I believe in the power of prayer and I wanted my friends to hear it from me, the hardest part was finding words to do it.

I posted this:
"So there is absolutely no easy way to say this, I tried several different ways yesterday, and perhaps the best was "at least I look good in pink!" Yesterday started a journey that will be a tough fight, but one I am ready to face head-on with my God holding me in His hands and my family and friends by my side! The love that poured into my house and into my heart last night made me know for sure that I will beat breast cancer! Friends, please pray for God's healing, strength and courage in all the days ahead!"


Friends, whether you saw me that first night, called me, texted me, emailed me or communicated with me via Facebook, I found myself speachless at the love and support that was flooding into my inbox, my phone, but more importantly, my heart!  I sat in bed that night, with tears running down my face and I honestly lacked the words to even tell Jason what I was feeling.   I was 100% OVERWHELMED, but not by the word cancer, by YOU!!!!!

How would I ever be able to express my gratitude to everyone??  I couldn't even put a sentence together that would do justice to what I was feeling!

I was up early Friday morning, and one of the first things I do everyday, is read the Homeward Devotional that arrives in my inbox around 5:30am.  The title was "Who Packs Your Parachute?"  I don't know how to link you up to read it yourself, but it was about a jet fighter pilot in Vietnam, who after 75 combat missions, was hit by a surface-to-air missile.  He ejected and parachuted into enemy hands and spent six years in a Communist prison.  Well, many years later, while eating with his wife, this fighter pilot was recognized by another man.  It was the man who had spent many hours, weaving and folding and who had in fact, held in his hands the fate of so many men that he didn't even know, countless times, as he packed their parachutes.


This devotional encouraged me, the reader, to thank those people who had recently "packed my parachute."  Well, all of you, my friends and family, have done just that!  My parachute is full of encouragement, love, and promises from God, all things that I will cling to as I fight this fight!   Without my parachute, I would have fallen fast into a dark place where the word cancer would have consumed my every thought! 

I am eternally grateful for ALL of my "parachute packers" as I have your love, your support and your words of encouragement to bring me down, on the other side of this as a SURVIVOR of breast cancer! 

Sending my love to you all!