haunted.

I must blog about my friend, my hero, Elizabeth Grant. Her benefit is only 5 days away. It's called Hope Skip & Jump. She named it herself because she wishes for all children to have happy childhood memories. She has "a deep passion to see to it that children can keep their innocence -- especially when one of their parents or caregivers is suffering or has passed on from cancer."

You see... I met Elizabeth during one of my early treatments. We have a mutual friend, & I was familiar with her story. However, meeting her changed my life. I know without a doubt that God put her in my life to teach me how to walk this Journey Nobody Would Choose. All my life I have feared breast cancer. It ranked 4th on my list of greatest fears, only to be topped by such atrocities as having your child kidnapped or become terminally ill.

When I received my diagnosis a little over a year ago, I had so much to process. One thought that continually haunted me was whether or not I would learn to live life joyfully (even with my uncertainties). I worried that if I survived my treatments, I would not regain my joy. I felt as if I had a new dark cloud residing over my head that would never lift.

I will always remember the day I met Elizabeth, truly beautiful inside & out. She hugged me & told me that my cancer would likely be just a chapter in my life even though her's was so. much. more. She didn't want me to be afraid. Jesus had sustained her, & He would surely sustain me. As she walked away, my husband & I were blown away by her faith.

My conclusion:  A faith so deep can only come from such a difficult journey. Her faith, her Jesus, was getting her through her heart wrenching story. You see, she has Stage IV Cancer. What began as breast cancer has metastasized to her bones, her brain, & recently her liver. She has 2 young children and a husband (not to mention her parents, her 3 sisters, & a multitude of friends).

Elizabeth faces everyday with joy & a mission to prepare her children for when she is no longer physically present in their sweet lives. I am in awe of her. I don't think she feels sorry for herself. She has embraced her journey, & she wants others to see her Jesus, to know Him. She has taught me to embrace my journey, even not knowing my outcome.

She has firsthand shown me what a life focused on Jesus looks like. She has taught me not to fear, but to live. She has shown me what it looks like to daily put yourself in the palm of God's hand, the safest place to be. I have learned not to be haunted by my uncertainties but to claim my eternal security in Christ. I love Elizabeth Grant for so many reasons. She will forever be my hero.