11 April 2008
Thoughts As A Daughter…
Posted by Nadene under: Nadene's Thoughts .
When I first found out that my mom had cancer, I felt that all we had to do as a family, was pray, do what the Dr.’s said, and she would be healed. I thought of her cancer as something that would be solved by surgery and drugs. Cancer is not what I thought it was. I soon learned that the solution was not simple. There were very few answers and all of them were complicated. But God was going to show me more of Himself through all of it.
I was actually trying to finish my undergraduate work at The Master’s College, when this journey began. I am so thankful that I was placed at TMC during that time. We found out that my mom had to have surgery in October, so I arranged with my professors to be gone and tried to get ahead on assignments. Funny how God changes our plans isn’t it? I planned to be gone for maybe two or three days but I ended up being out of school for two weeks!! Folks, you do not miss two weeks of college and pass all of your classes! I started thinking that I would have to postpone my last semester, but God had the perfect plan in place. He gave me amazing professors who gave me grace upon grace for assignments. They helped me after class to catch me up on material, they set aside handouts, and gave me tips on how to get the most out of my work without taking too much time on it. I ended up passing all of my classes that semester despite those two weeks out, and my time spent going home on weekends. I don’t want to make it sound as if I didn’t work for my grades. I certainly earned them, I did all the work asked of me, but I was given a different time table to do it in. I am so thankful that God put those gracious professors in my life at that time.
Now I am finished, not only with undergrad, but I have my teaching credential! God’s grace has been abundant! I am now experiencing God’s grace in the every day care of my Mom and the household responsibilities. God has taught me a lot about communication, patience, endurance, and how to glorify Him in the “small” things like dishwashing and toilet cleaning 
God has opened my eyes to some of the gifts He has given me. For example, I love to organize things around the house. I never used to think of this as anything but a neurotic behavior until this last weekend. I had the opportunity of going on a retreat where the speaker focused the weekend on spiritual gifts and strengths that God has given us. It came to my attention that God is organized. There is order in the universe and therefore organization is one of His gifts to me. (I know it’s not a specific spiritual gift but it’s still something God has given to me.) God opened my eyes to see that my love of organization and my ability to organize is from Him and is an attribute that He possesses. So in my organization, I can glorify Him. I think that’s an amazing thing!
My hope as you read this blog that my family is working to compose, is that you will see God’s hand in our lives. Not so you will think about how great we are, but so you will see how great our God is and know and believe that He has His hand in your life as well. God is working, He is not indifferent to our sufferings and trials. There is one sentence that my mentor said to me in one of my darkest moments when I was scared, hurt and felt that God was distant. OUR GOD DOES NOT CHANGE WITH OUR CIRCUMSTANCE. What a hard yet comforting concept. He is the same, yesterday, today and forever. My earthly circumstances may change but God will remain the same. Hope in that… believe in that. Believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The God that calmed the storm and fed the five-thousand. Believe in and Trust Him, and then look forward to the eternity you will have in His presence.
5Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
-Proverbs 3:5
In Christ,
Nadene Ames
One Comment so far...
jack ojwang Says:
13 April 2008 at 2:23 am.
God is our ultimate parent. He knows all about the problems we often have, but He also knows that our experiences with pain and suffering, along with all of the good experiences that we may have or will have. Not even for a single second will our Father forsake us.
Rememeber Mika 7:7 “Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me” So please keep your head up to the Father for he promised to save u.
Dont ever forget his everlasting promise to be there for you no matter where, when and what the cost.