Priceless

There is no way to describe it, but as one of those serendipitous moments in life—a time out of the ordinary that becomes the extraordinary. 

It started several weeks ago, when Emma, Nancy, and I were sitting around the table drinking coffee or eating, two things we love to do.   When we’re together, the conversation can go all kinds of different ways.  We have been friends for over 40 years; and we never seem to run out of anything to talk about!  This day we started talking about the singing group, Il Divo. 

“Wouldn’t it be fun to go and hear them?”

“Yes, if they are ever in driving distance, we must go and see them!”

“Hmm, let’s check their website!”  IPhones come out.

“Can you believe it? It looks like they are in Nashville in two weeks?”

“I bet Billie would love to go, too!”

The excitement builds and then reality hits.  Both Billie and Nancy are caregivers with the full time responsibility for their loved ones.  There just didn't seem any way that we could take off for Nashville. Who would take care of their loved ones? Also, we knew it would be impossible at that late date to get decent tickets.  Dismissing the possibility, we changed the subject and decided to go out for lunch.

Several days later the phone rings.  It’s a conference call from Nancy, Emma, and Nancy’s son, Matt. 

“You all are NOT going to believe this!”

“Tell them, Matt!”

“I got you complimentary tickets to go and see Il Divo!”

“WHAT?”

“No way!”

Matt lives in New York.  He has a friend who is associated with Il Divo, and he got us the four tickets to the Nashville concert.  Not only that, but a couple of days later, Matt sent an email saying that there would also be four backstage passes waiting for us at the ticket counter.  We were actually going to meet Il Divo!

Nancy and Billie were able to make arrangements for their loved ones, and the trip was on!  Leaving here early on a Wednesday morning, we drove to Nashville, talking non-stop the entire way.  We were so excited.

We stayed at the Marriott Hotel, only a block or so away from the Ryman Theater, where Il Divo was going to perform that night.  We were instructed to go to the theater at 5:30 to pick up our tickets and backstage passes.  Walking up to the ticket counter, we were told that there were no tickets waiting for us at that time.  Sensing that we were feeling a little nervous, the lady behind the counter explained that the band hadn’t sent up their tickets yet.  OK, we sat outside to wait. 

 “Well,” Nancy said, “we’ll just beg standing room only tickets if these other tickets fall through!”

Yep, we hadn’t come all this way to be left standing at the door!

But, a short time later, the nice lady from the ticket counter came out to us grinning from ear to ear.  She had an envelope in her hand that contained our tickets and backstage passes.

Joining the others standing in line for the “meet and greet," we snaked our way into the theater.  Waiting in line overlooking

the beautiful Ryman (Grand Ole Opry) Theater balcony, we tried to figure out where we would be sitting for the concert. 

“See that column over there?” Nancy said.  “I will probably be sitting right behind that!”  Laughing, we said we just didn’t care!

After about thirty minutes, we walked through the door to the backstage.  Ordered to leave our purses and cameras on the shelf by the door, we entered a narrow hallway.  People began passing by us as they filed out, smiling and (as was the case for several ladies) swooning and fanning themselves.

Finally, we reached the room, and it was our turn to meet Il Divo.  Walking into the small room, we saw four handsome young men with huge smiles on their faces.  Shaking our hands, they asked if we were looking forward to the show.  Emma and I were rather shy, but Nancy and Billie talked to them like they were old friends and thanked them for the tickets.  Nancy explained that Justin had gotten us the tickets.

 “Just Bieber?” One of them asked.

Nancy laughed. “No, your assistant producer, Justin!”

We had our picture taken and about three minutes later filed out.  It was time for the show!

Making our way to our seats, we were delighted to discover that our seats were center stage and about six rows back.  They couldn’t have been any better! 

The concert was amazing.  The voices of these four men were rich and pure.  They rang throughout the small auditorium filling all of us with joy.  The audience responded with multiple standing ovations.  We were enthralled.  As I looked at my friends, their faces glowed with delight.  It was a night to remember.  For a short time, we were able to forget all that was going on in our lives and basked in the moment.  I thanked God for it.

Four Tickets to see Il Divo—$600 (Complimentary)

Four Backstage Passes for a Meet and Greet—$1800.00 (Complimentary)

An unforgettable evening with friends—Priceless 

The Unimaginable Gift

This isn’t even my story.  I was just privileged to be a small part of it.  But, what an honor it was to be a witness to so much joy and to such a miracle! 

            It was 2:00 in the morning; the hospital room was dim, except for the contraction and heart monitors blinking off and on.  The doctor came in and said quietly, “Nicole, it’s time to push.”  Chris, the baby’s daddy, and I sat beside her on the bed.  “You can do this, Nicole!” Chris said.  As we grabbed hands, Nicole began praying and praising God. “Lord, thank you for giving me the desire of my heart.  You know, Lord, that as a child, I never even let myself imagine that you would give me a family to love—a normal life. But here I am now, giving birth to my sweet baby girl.  Lord, I’m so scared, please help me!” 

            As a school counselor for 28 years, some kids just grabbed my heart and never let go. It was 1998 when a little girl with a huge smile walked into my life and stole my heart.  She was tiny, feisty, and as smart as a whip.  Her name was Nicole, and she had cerebral palsy.  Nicole walked with a walker, but ruled the halls of our elementary school. I designed a “driver’s license” for Nicole to encourage her to slow down as she walked (or ran) through the halls. Even though she walked with a walker, God compensated for that by giving her a brilliant vocabulary and an engaging personality.  Nicole loved to talk.

            Nicole had multiple surgeries up until she was in middle school.  She was always in pain, but never really complained until the depression grabbed hold of her off and on.  She was an “old soul” at 13.   She would come to my office, or I would visit her at her home, and we would talk….and talk…and talk.  She wrote beautiful prose, songs, and poetry to express the hurt and joy within her.

            As Nicole moved into high school, we never lost touch.  She would call periodically, and we would talk.  This was a troubling time in Nicole’s life, but God had His hand on her steadying and directing even when she began to lose hope.  There were times when she just wanted the pain to go away and tried to end it all, but God protected her. 

            After high school, life began to take a different turn for Nicole.  She attended college and moved out on her own.  She started going to church, devouring the Bible and teaching His Word; falling in love with God. About this time, she reconnected with a sweet childhood friend, and they fell in love. 

                       And now, Nicole was giving birth to their baby girl.        She had a right to be scared.  The special medical team who followed her pregnancy was concerned about her safety and the ability to push this baby out.  But, God had other plans.  At 3:20 in the morning, this tiny and brave young woman pushed her little girl, red faced and squalling, into the world.  She was beautiful.  They both were.   All of a sudden the room was filled with doctors, nurses, and (I’m sure) her heavenly guardian angel cheering and witnessing a miracle!

Never in my life had I seen such love as when they placed this baby girl into Nicole’s arms.  Tears streaming down her face, she thanked the Lord for giving her a gift that she could never have (in her wildest dreams) imagined.  I could just picture Jesus standing right there beside her, filling the room with His shekinah glory and smiling His huge smile.

Now thanks be to God for His Gift, [precious] beyond telling. II Corinthians 9:15

Don't Look Back

The title of our sermon series this month at my church is “Don’t Look Back.”  The pastor encourages us to let go of the past (and the things we wish that we hadn’t done), and look toward the future.  Driving home after the first sermon, I started thinking……I’ts not only about looking back on the past and the wrongs we have done, but also the good things; resting on them and not moving forward.
 
Last year, after fighting the breast cancer, I remember sharing a miracle with my church.  The pastor said something like, “yes, that miracle is great, but God won’t stop there!  He has even greater things in store for you!”  That didn’t downgrade the miracle, but made me realize that I needed to expect and believe that our God will to "do even greater things than these!" John 14:12 I can't sit on that miracle for the rest of my life, but must keep believing God for more miracles to build on that one.
 
It confirmed another story that I had heard when I was on my silent retreat last spring.  Every morning I met with a lady to talk about the week and what God was doing in it.  She shared about an 85 year old, sometimes irascible, nun that she knew.  She told me that she was gushing over something God had done in her life, and the nun told her "Don't even think you have seen all that God has to offer you. You have to keep expecting more!" It made me think that I have to wake up every morning with expectation in my spirit that God is going to do something new and fresh!
 
I can't wait!

Yes! Revisited

 One hot, summer day several years ago, God spoke to me in a pretty miraculous way.  I wrote about it here. Our entire family was going through a very difficult time, and there was just not any understanding it.  How could anything good come out of this situation? 

.......................smile. 

God brought it all back to my memory as I perched on the back of my husband's truck, camera in hand, driving through the flooded bayou to be a part of my soon to be daughter-in-law's bridal photo shoot.  Sometimes, we just have to go through the flood to get to the miracle.  

And it makes it all the more sweeter.  One thing I do know, our God is ever faithful, and "we know that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love him."  Romans 8:28.  

YES!

A Christmas Eve Story

Christmas Eve was here finally!  After cooking several dishes this morning, I pounced on the couch, I Pad on my stomach, reading and then napping.  But, God had something else for me to do today.  “You need to go see Jane.”  Jane has been my friend for many years, and she loves Christmas!  Physically disabled, she gets so much joy out of the Christmas season.  Her little apartment is full of Christmas.  The UPS man is her favorite person during this season, bringing her gifts that she had ordered on QVC. 

I had a little present to take to her, and so after wrapping it, I got in my car to drive the short distance to Jane’s apartment.   John opened the door.  John is Jane’s son.  He grew up in our church, an angry, petulant child who grew to be an angry young man.  ‘”How are you, John?” I asked.  His answer was a curt, “Fine, Cindy.”  John began chiding his mother that there wasn’t any food in the house.  “We should have gone shopping yesterday, Mom.  Now, it’s too late, because Dad won’t be home until after the grocery store closes since it’s Christmas Eve. “  Jane was quiet for a moment, and then she said, “I bet Ms. Cindy would take you to the store.  You can use my debit card, but don’t spend too much.”  John grumbled, and then walked over to me and said, “Well, would you take me? “   Oh great, I thought.  Not something I really wanted to do this afternoon, going out to the store on a busy Christmas Eve.  “Sure, John, come on.” 

We got in the car, making small talk.  Away from his mother, John, is a lot more pleasant.  I asked him what he was doing now, and he told me he was working for a big box store.  “I’ve been working there for about a year and a half, and I love my job!”  Surprised, I asked him some more questions.  “I have my fork-lift certification, so that might help me get an even better job someday. But, I want to stay in this job for a while because I really like it.”  Asking about me, I talked to him a little bit about how God had turned my life upside down this last year with my cancer diagnosis. 

Arriving at the busy parking lot at the store, I told John that I would just stay in the car and wait for him, not wanting to fight all those last minute shoppers.  “Sure,” he said and slammed the door. 

I spent the next 20 minutes talking to my brother on the phone.  Before long, I heard the car door open, and John began filling the back seat with groceries.  Looks like he got a little more than the $20.00 his mom told him to spend on her debit card, I thought to myself.  John climbed in the front seat, turned to me and said shaking his head, “You will never believe what just happened. The lady behind me in line just bought all my groceries!”  It seemed that when John was checking out, one particular item would not go through on his Mother’s card.  Embarrassed, he began fishing for his own wallet.  The lady behind him said, “I’ll take care of that for you!”  Thinking that she was going to just take care of the $3.00 item that wouldn’t go through, he was astounded when the cashier told him that she had paid for everything!  Thanking her over and over again, he couldn’t believe that someone would do something like that for him! 

On the drive home, we talked.  “Man, I feel so obligated to that lady!”  

“John, consider that a gift from God.”  I explained.  “Some day you can pay that forward.  I can just see you one Christmas Eve taking your children out to the store and telling them that you want to buy groceries for someone!”

“Yeah, that would be pretty cool!” He smiled.

John’s face lights up when he smiles.  The whole atmosphere inside the car had changed.  We talked about God and maybe what God is doing in his life.  We even talked about where he might go to church in the small town where he lived.

When we got back to his mom’s apartment, he walked in shouting, “Mom, you’ll never believe what happened!” 

What an amazing gift that God gave to me this afternoon.  A short trip to see a friend turned into an opportunity for me to see God bless an angry young man who really needed a special touch from God. 

Miracles still do happen at Christmas.

An Answer to My Question

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It has been exactly 11 months since I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer—11  months since my life was turned upside down and inside out…..never to be the same again.  Last week, I had my five-month PET scan.  Sitting through a PET scan is not difficult, it’s just long.  You have to sit by yourself in a quiet room for an hour and a half while the drug distributes itself throughout your body.  You can’t read because for some reason, it causes more of the drug to go to your brain.  So, you sit and rest and think……

Well, I didn’t want to do a lot of thinking, so I did a lot of talking to God and listening to Him during that hour and a half.  I asked Him point blank, “Lord, why did you heal me?”  I know that we all have our own journeys of faith and healing.  God heals some on earth and some in heaven.  It breaks my heart to talk to some of the families of friends I have met through this journey who have lost their loved ones to cancer.  Why?  I honestly don’t know, but I can say that He did answer my question. 

Every morning I wake up praising Him for each new day!  Little things that used to stress me out…….they just don’t any more.  He has given me the best days of my life; and I can’t wait to see what each day might bring.  I’m back volunteering at A Woman’s Place, a pregnancy resource center in our small town. What a joy to be able to give back to God.

This picture was taken at Thanksgiving. Every year I gather all my grand kids together to take their Christmas card picture.  I had this crazy idea to take this beautiful, old love seat and plop it in the middle of my son’s lovely, green wheat field.  This was my mother-in-law’s “candy cane” couch; my kids grew up opening presents on it Christmas Eve.  She would have loved it!  I am just so grateful to God that He gave me more years to photograph these precious kids. 

My PET Scan was perfect!  Thank you, Lord.

A Happy Beginning

If I could describe the perfect week-end, it would have been the last one.  My daughter, Stacey, determined that everyone in the family would join me in the Race for the Cure (along with 40,000 others).  As a surprise to me, she provided everyone with a T-shirt that said, “Cisa’s Cheerleaders”.  On the back was everyone’s name. What a great celebration to the end of chemo/surgery/and radiation!

It was a beautiful, crisp and clear October morning.  My best friends, Betty, a 20 year survivor, and Emma, joined us.  It just can’t get better than this! 

After the race, we all enjoyed a delicious brunch and had our group picture taken.

Saturday afternoon, we took a trip to the Fletcher pumpkin patch.  

On Sunday, everyone joined us for church.  My son-in-law, Chris, joined the Praise Team with his anointed trumpet.  I was privileged to give my testimony to God’s healing power.  

 Sunday afternoon was another trip to the pumpkin patch. 

This week-end was as close to heaven as I will get here on earth.   Having my family around me was just pure joy!