Endurance

A great middle grade book for girls!

This week, right before I went in for a treatment, I had the opportunity to have lunch with an author friend I haven't seen for awhile.  Since the days we were both unpublished and critiquing each other's work, she has moved up in the world, making friends with some prominent authors, and publishing 2 of her books.

Sometimes, I feel like cancer has brought my life to a screeching halt.  When I first got diagnosed, I thought I'd have all kinds of time to write.  But it seems all I do is twiddle my thumbs and wait for the next treatment.  Finding the energy to be creative is like drawing water from a dry well: I haven't come up with much.  That gets frustrating for me.

But, I remind myself that my priority right now is to be here as much as possible with my family, and to patiently endure this trial.  Someone shared a scripture with me in Mosiah 3:19 about putting off the natural man, ". . . willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."  And so, I've been trying to cheerfully (for the most part) endure; after all, Heavenly Father knows what's best for me.  I truly believe that good will come of this trial!

My author friend remarked that right now, she's planting seeds with her book, sprinkling them wherever she can in the hopes that one day at least one will grow into a tree.  I really liked that analogy.  I haven't planted many of my own "author seeds," but perhaps next year, when cancer is behind me, I can begin to sow.  In the meantime, I can help her out and plant a few seeds for her.  I genuinely enjoy her writing, and I want to see her be successful.

Really, I guess that's what the Lord wants for us, as well.  And if it takes a bout with cancer to make me into the person He wants me to be, well--I'll swallow that castor oil and make the best of it.