Spring Time Renewal

Sunday April 1, 2012

I love Spring Time! The trees in our front yard are in bloom. One is covered in pretty pink clusters and another is bursting with fluffy white blooms. The grass is starting to green up from the long winter frost and I am reminded of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am amazed at the rebirth of the earth during this season and the promise of the resurrection of our Savior as a renewal of life. It’s a time of hope and peace.

I was so excited to wake up for General Conference this morning. We received a call from our home teacher who said he was coming over with some Chunky Cinnamon French Toast Casserole. It was the most amazing French toast, magic syrup, and fresh strawberries! I cried and then explained to him that last night I had asked Lincoln to buy more strawberries because I'd been craving them and they are easy to swallow. He'd gone to the store, but they were completely sold out. Then this morning, my home teacher and his sweet wife show up with a hot breakfast AND fresh strawberries. What a tender mercy! The Lord knew those were important to me and my friend was in tune to get them for me.

Between Conference sessions, we had a delicious casserole that a wonderful friend from Rocky Mountain Elementary School made for us. It was awesome! I also had a friend drop by. As she entered our house, she hugged me so tight and she cried and cried. We sat down and we talked a while. I told her I was fine and being blessed to feel really good so far. We talked and laughed and in the end, I think she felt much better about how I was doing. I think that when most people hear about my diagnosis, they tend to think the absolute worse-case situation, until they have a chance to talk with me. Then they realize that I truly am being sustained and blessed to be doing well. I feel a strengthening power in my life.

This evening I received a tender email from my mission president’s wife from Argentina. I was touched that she remembers me and that she took the time to express her love and concern that I be sustained in this fight against the cancer and to overcome it.

I am forever grateful for the opportunity that I had some 30 years ago to leave everything and serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I will never forget the life lessons I learned as I shared my testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ with the amazing people of Argentina. It was there that I learned that I could do hard things with the Lord at my side. It was there that I formed friendships that would cross continents. It is now that I will remember those precious lessons that I learned and use them on this new kind of ‘mission’ as I walk the road of recovery from cancer. I know I can rely on my Savior’s love to sustain and lift me in trying times. I am truly blessed.