a new bond

Last night I made a new friend on FB.  I met her through a mutual friend. She sent me a beautiful message. She said that though we have the bond of breast cancer, we have an even greater bond, Christ. As always, this message came at just the right moment.  My eyes filled with tears, & I sat there in disbelief. I had to ponder these words. What wonderful words!

Breast cancer is a strong bond. When you meet someone on life's journey, & she has already taken your fork in the road, you have an instant bond. The specifics of your journey may differ, but so many of the emotions are the same. The fears are no longer imagined; they are real. You share an understanding that doesn't really need words. It's a knowing...

I had already looked at this new friend's FB pictures & read some of her blogs. I had heard some sweet things about her from our mutual friend. She is much younger than I am & has small children. She is walking a walk much more difficult than mine. From the beginning of my journey, I always thanked God for allowing me to raise my children without this cloud over my head.  I have nothing but admiration for her.

I am convinced the more difficult your walk, the closer you cling to Christ (if you know Him). I have to agree with my friend, our bond in Christ is so much greater than the strong bond we naturally have in fighting our fight. Without Christ, we would both be unable to live our daily lives with peace. Having Christ doesn't mean we don't have fears & that trials don't come our way which temporarily uproot our peace.

Having a relationship with Jesus Christ means that as we flail, as we cry, as our world is uprooted, as we face our unknowns, He will give us His grace to get through each second. We are never alone. We can cry out to Him while we face treatment, as our hairs fall out of our heads (or even begin to grow). We can cry out to Him when we are hurting, when we regret our own words, when we feel alone or forsaken.

Whatever we face, his grace gives us the strength for each moment. My friend & I can attest to this because we are on our journey, facing each day delicately, not knowing how many more we will have. But... we do know that God knows, & that is enough.