Consider it ALL Joy

September 11, 2023

Recently we had the privilege of being beside a dear friend as she passed away. I sat with this friend and we talked about our fears and hopes. She was a mentor and fellow farmer who we dearly loved. After being re-diagnosed with cancer, we watched her body fade and our life perspective was again refocused. That will be us one day , our body fading away from this life into the eternal life with our King.

How quickly we forget what this life is about and jump back on that hamster wheel, just doing the motions of life. I’ll be honest, life has gone back to a somewhat normal state for us and I tend to forget what the Lord has taught me. I can get side tracked with money, our business, the next to do or about myself. I thank God for the opportunity to be beside this dear friend and have our focus narrowed down again to what really matters.

I wonder how often we forget the things that Christ did for us. Thinking back to the initial months after we found out Jesse had cancer there was a sense of shock and humility we lived in but as time goes on, that can wear off. Jesse and I talked recently about how we’ve almost become numb to our circumstances and not able to feel a whole lot. Maybe that’s just a coping mechanism but then I got thinking about the gospel. When we first hear it and come to believe Jesus is the Son of God, it’s a sense of excitement and total reverence. But as time goes on that can wear off . We hear the story of the cross, but our heart can go numb to it. It doesn’t excite us or move us like it should.

We’ve had an incredible summer and Jesse taking a break from chemo has been a gift for us all . We took some family vacations and made great memories together. As summer comes to a close and our normal routines start to take shape, I pray that our focus on life stays on eternity. That we will continue to wake each day and pray “Lord would you keep me close to your heart, so that I see things as it were more and more from your point of view.” (Corrie TenBoom) I would be lying if I said there wasn’t fear going back into the cancer scene. We’re still here travelling on this unknown journey, there’s still emotions that pop up for both of us. Coming to the conclusion that this is our life for now and learning to have joy in all our circumstances and disappointments can be challenging but we wouldn't change it . "Consider it ALL joy, my brethren when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" -James 1:2-4. Christ continues to carry us each moment of everyday, May His will be done in our lives.

Jesse got results from his scan he had at the end of August. They showed that there is growth in his liver and lung but nothing significant. We were expecting growth over the summer, so it wasn’t to big of a surprise. Jesse will continue to do chemo every other week and scans every 3 months . He'll continue to do high dose vitamin c therapy on his off week of chemo. We're grateful for Jesus continuing to bless our lives and as we put one foot in front of the other we know He will lead us.

Awaiting His return,

Jenn and Jesse

This song sums it up, O what a glorious day when we meet Him face to face:

https://youtu.be/UViC6DllCeA?si=2CMjJdGqohJ5JS6p