I lost a dear friend this month and can only just now bring myself to write about it. I've lost many friends and relatives to cancer. Each cancer story is different. Each cancer journey is one of courage and pain, suffering and relief, victory and defeat. But this one -- well, this friend was everything I hope one day to become .. minus the cancer, of course. I wouldn't wish that on anybody.
Well, almost nobody.
Okay, child molesters probably deserve cancer.
People who abuse the elderly.
Rapists.
Murderers.
People who kick dogs.
Wait.
No.
Nobody. Nobody deserves cancer.
Ouch. That's hard to say. But if I've learned nothing else from my friend, she taught me that I should show kindness and compassion and mercy to all people, not just the ones I like. Anyone can love a friend. But an enemy? That's much more difficult.
Even as she lay dying in her bed, my friend greeted visitors with broad smiles and kind words. I never heard her complain. Her organs were shutting down and she couldn't stand without fainting. Still she insisted on knowing what she could do for others.
She was a truly a -- you know what? A word hasn't been invented yet that describes what she was. Miracle maybe. She was love, mercy, forgiveness, gentility, grace, tireless servant to her fellow man, teacher, wife, and friend to all with the singing voice of an angel. Not an unkind or selfish bone in her body.
I know I'll never be like her.
I'd still give cancer to child molesters.
2 comments:
Touching tribute, Maryan. Sorry to read about your loss. Your friend makes you want to be a better person. You're not that far off from being that person.
I hate cancer too. It took the life of the man I admire the most. His name was Bob Kaminski, and he was my pastor. Bob was an engineer at Boeing. Grew up a Catholic, but then God got ahold of him, and Bob got into the carismatic movement. After work Bob was VERY INVOLVED with all sorts of Christ-centered activities: marches and parades for Jesus, feeding the homeless on Friday nights in Tacoma, leading prayer meetings, getting people saved.
Bob knew the bible, and could speak in tongues. AND Bob was an intellectual. Besides working at Boeing as an engineer, Bob Kaminski also wrote a book about the Christian's perspective on UFOs. It's called, "Lying Wonders."
To me Bob was the best of the best, yet he died from brain cancer. To the day I die I will never forget Bob Kaminksi. Bob showed me how you can be a Christian -- and have a brain too! Function in society, and honored God in all that you do.
Take heart Maryan, you're a lot closer to being like your hero, than I am to mine.
"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones." Psalms 116:15
- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA
Thanks for the kind note, E.C., and for sharing your friend with me. Cancer is a puzzle I guess we aren't meant to solve just yet.
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