Hey everyone! Happy Sunday. Today marks the end of a great weekend with friends and family in Athens celebrating 25 years of RUF at UGA (where Kelly served for 2 years as a campus ministry intern). We laughed, we sang, we cried, and we worshipped – it was so good. Not to mention the incredible food and drink that Athens provides. What a gift – Praise the Lord!
I’m posting today to ask for prayer – tomorrow (3/17) we’ll head to Emory at 7:30am for a CT scan. It’ll be the first look inside since Kelly’s HIPEC surgery in October. Please pray for a clean scan. Please pray for calm nerves! Please pray for God to be magnified and glorified tomorrow – and every day. We expect to get a report-out from the scan tomorrow morning sometime.
Kelly and I were talking today about how this scan cycle feels different than past ones have. Earlier in our cancer journey, it felt scary to go 5 months between scans. We worried that cancer could be growing without us knowing. “If it’s going to come back, if we could just catch it sooner, it’d give us a better shot at beating it.” … right? This time, it feels like a gift – God’s mercy, even – that we’ve gotten a break from the anxious worry that comes with these types of appointments. Some might say that we are learning from the history and experience we’ve developed walking this road and I believe that’s true. But more than learning from our experience, I believe that God is molding and shaping our hearts to trust Him more.
We believe, and He helps our unbelief. Though we are afraid, He is there. He comforts us.
He has surrounded us with friends and with joy, in the midst of the suffering and hurt. He delights to hear from us (and from you!). We are so thankful.
Alongside praying for a good report tomorrow, please pray for many close friends of ours who are either fighting cancer, supporting friends/family fighting cancer, or mourning the passing of loved ones. Please Lord, have mercy!
At the RUF anniversary this weekend, I learned a new song and can’t get it out of my head. It’s been a welcome distraction and encouragement today. Take a listen – I hope you enjoy it! These lyrics resonate deeply for us right now:
“She, too, who touched you in the press
And healing virtue stole
Was answered, “Daughter, go in peace
Thy faith has made thee whole.
Like her, with hopes and fears we come
To touch You if we may
O send us not despairing home
Send none unhealed away
Heal us, Emmanuel, here we are
We long to feel Thy touch
Deep wounded souls to Thee we fly
O Savior hear our cry”
We hope, (and we pray regularly!), for Jesus to heal Kelly of cancer. To sustain all of our lives, and to protect us. Like the bleeding woman referenced in the lyrics above, we are desperate for rescue and physical healing. But, more than physical healing, we pray to have a bold faith in Jesus – one like the woman above. And we rejoice that Jesus does not stop at our physical healing. His death on the cross gives us an eternal salvation – and that is the best news of all.
We love you – thank you for praying!
Kelly and Jonathan
Continued prayers!!!